Thyroid dysfunction in patients of depression and anxiety and response to therapy

Background: Depression and anxiety are the most common psychiatric presentation in thyroid dysfunction. Aim of the study was to determine the thyroid profile in patients with depressive and anxiety symptoms and to determine the change in symptoms with correction of thyroid profile.Methods: This longitudinal observational study was conducted in patients presented with depressive or anxiety symptoms who visited the psychiatry out patient department (OPD) first time. Two groups were made based on the serum thyroid profile. First group, (n=27) was patients with depression and anxiety with hypothyroidism (experimental group) and second was (n=123) without hypothyroidism (control group). Experimental group, (n=27) was then exposed to thyroxine, 15 patients came for first follow up and 11 patients came for second follow up.Results: The 63% of patients in the experimental group and 62.6% of patients in the control group were of female gender, 66.7% and 33.3% of patients in the experimental group had depressive disorder and anxiety disorder respectively. TSH level of 11 patients of experimental group had significantly less value in first follow up compared to entry point (p=0.002). Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) 7 scores were significantly lower in first and second follow up than that of the entry point in 11 patients of experimental group (p=0.008, 0.016 respectively).Conclusions: Many patients of the clinical diagnosis of depression (17.6%) and clinical diagnosis of anxiety (18.75%) had hypothyroidism during the first visit to the psychiatry OPD. There was significant reduction in the hypothyroid patients of the serum thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) value and anxiety scores during the follow up after treatment with levothyroxine

Performance of Banana Cultivars in Gujarat

Field experiments were conducted for three years to assess the performance and select the cultivar ideally suited to Saurashtra region in Gujarat. The cultivars evaluated were Basrai, Harichal, Robusta, Gros Michel, Gandevi Selection and Lacatan. Of these, Gandevi Selection proved superior, with regard to growth parameters, yield characters and its attributes. It also yielded the highest benefit cost ratio

Effect of Spacing and Crop Duration on Growth, Flowering and Bulb Production in Tuberose (Polianthes tuberosa L.) Cv. Double

Field experiments were conducted at Junagadh during 2002-05 to study the response of spacing (45 x 45, 45 x 30, 45 x 15, 30 x 30 and 30 x 15 cm) and crop duration (first year crop, first ratoon and second ratoon) on growth, flowering, cut flower yield and bulb production in tuberose cv. Double. The widest spacing (45 cm x 45 cm) registered the highest values for plant height (46.18 cm), number of leaves per clump (67.25), spike length (89.64 cm), spike diameter (0.95 cm), diameter of open flower (4.6 cm), rachis length (34.8 cm), number of spikes per clump (4.1), number of florets per spike (48.2), number of bulbs per clump (18.40) and number of bulblets per clump (31.60). It also induced early spike emergence and flowering. A planting distance of 30 x 30 cm realized the highest cut flower yield (2.72 lakh ha-1) and that of 30 cm x 15 cm recorded the highest bulb production (22 lakh ha-1). Ratoon crops showed higher plant height, number of leaves, bulbs, bulblets and spikes per clump and cut flower yield as well as bulb production over the first year crop. Early spike emergence and flowering was also noted in ratoon crops compared to the first year crop. However, spike and flower quality was inferior to that of first year crop with regard to spike length and diameter, number of florets per spike, diameter of open flower and rachis length

Effect of plant growth regulators on flowering behavior of cashew cv. Vengurla-4 grown in the hilly tracts of South Gujarat

A trial was conducted at Subhir and Chikhalda locations in Dang district of South Gujarat, India to assess the effect of Ethrel, NAA and GA3 on the flowering behavior of cashew cultivar Vengurla-4 during 2013-14. Three concentrations each of GA3 (50, 75, 100 ppm), Ethrel (10, 30, 50 ppm) and NAA (50, 75, 100ppm) were applied as foliar sprays 20 days before blossoming and 20 days after full bloom in twenty year old trees of cashew cultivar Vengurla-4. Trees sprayed with 50 ppm Ethrel had significantly the highest number of flowering panicles per squaremeter (13.09), number of perfect flowers per panicle (87.11) and sex ratio (0.24) across locations and in pooled data. However, this was at par with 10 ppm Ethrel which emerged as the second best treatment of the trial. This study demonstrated the potential of Ethrel in improving various flowering parameters of cashew which are important determinations in increasing nut production

Effect of Maturity and Storage Temperature on Shelf-Life and Quality of Banana Cv. Grand Naine

A study was undertaken at Regional Horticulture Research Station, NAU, Navsari, during 2008-2009 to assess the effect of maturity stage and storage temperature on shelf-life and quality of banana cv. Grand Naine. The experiment was evaluated in Completely Randomized Ddesign based on the factorial concept, and comprised of three maturity stages (75, 90 and 100% maturity) and four storage temperatures (12°C, 14°C, 16°C&ambient temperature). Fruits harvested at 75% maturity and stored at 12°C recorded maximum green-life and better overall shelf-life, whereas, yellow-life was highest when fruits at 75% maturity were stored at 14°C. Best colour and texture was seen in fruits harvested at 100% maturity and stored at 16°C

Effect of organic manure and sulphur fertilization in pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan) + groundnut (Arachis hypogaea) intercropping system

There is large number of sulphur(S) sources available in the country and their efficiency need to be evaluated. In view of the meager information available on sulphur nutrition in a popular intercropping system of pigeonpea + groundnut. A field experiment was conducted during kharif 2003 and 2004 to evaluate the response of pigeonpea [Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.] + groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) intercropping system to FYM and S fertilization. Application of FYM at 5.0 t/ha significantly increased the yield and yield attributes, nutrient (NPK) uptake in pigeonpea and groundnut, system productivity (1.71 t/ha), net returns (Rs 18,287) and available S in soil after harvest (15.72 kg/ha). However, B: C ratio was higher with crop receiving no FYM. Intercropping failed to influence the yield attributes, yield and nutrient uptake in pigeonpea, however, system productivity, net income and B: C ratio was higher in pigeonpea + groundnut system. The available soil S after harvest of crop(s) was lower in pigeonpea + groundnut system (13.11 kg/ha) when compared with sole pigeonpea (17.06 kg/ha). Application of sulphur at 35 and 70 kg/ha, being on par, recorded significant increase in yield and nutrient uptake in pigeonpea and groundnut, system productivity and total net income over no S. The available soil S after harvest of crop (s) was higher with 70 kg S/ha. The S use efficiency indices were higher at lower i.e. 35 kg S/ha. Among the sources of sulphur, cosavet recorded higher yield and yield attributes, nutrient uptake and S use efficiency. However, the highest soil available S at harvest (19.34 kg/ha) was recorded with elemental S applied at 70 kg/ha, while the highest net income (Rs 20,431) and B: C ratio (2.0) were achieved with gypsum at 35 kg S/ha

Community seed banks as seed producers

Community-based seed producers are a relatively under-researched and under-documented category of seed producers, but have the potential to cater to the diverse seed needs and interests of smallholder farmers. This working paper presents a number of such community-seed producers, with a focus on community seed banks. The case studies from India, Nepal, Uganda and Zimbabwe point to the viability of community seed banks as seed producers and distributors, but becoming successful is not easy and depends on several factors, including initial technical guidance and support, sufficient time, adherence to a seed value chain perspective and the development of a sound business plan from the very start

Current whole-body MRI applications in the neurofibromatoses

ObjectivesThe Response Evaluation in Neurofibromatosis and Schwannomatosis (REiNS) International Collaboration Whole-Body MRI (WB-MRI) Working Group reviewed the existing literature on WB-MRI, an emerging technology for assessing disease in patients with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1), neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2), and schwannomatosis (SWN), to recommend optimal image acquisition and analysis methods to enable WB-MRI as an endpoint in NF clinical trials.MethodsA systematic process was used to review all published data about WB-MRI in NF syndromes to assess diagnostic accuracy, feasibility and reproducibility, and data about specific techniques for assessment of tumor burden, characterization of neoplasms, and response to therapy.ResultsWB-MRI at 1.5T or 3.0T is feasible for image acquisition. Short tau inversion recovery (STIR) sequence is used in all investigations to date, suggesting consensus about the utility of this sequence for detection of WB tumor burden in people with NF. There are insufficient data to support a consensus statement about the optimal imaging planes (axial vs coronal) or 2D vs 3D approaches. Functional imaging, although used in some NF studies, has not been systematically applied or evaluated. There are no comparative studies between regional vs WB-MRI or evaluations of WB-MRI reproducibility.ConclusionsWB-MRI is feasible for identifying tumors using both 1.5T and 3.0T systems. The STIR sequence is a core sequence. Additional investigation is needed to define the optimal approach for volumetric analysis, the reproducibility of WB-MRI in NF, and the diagnostic performance of WB-MRI vs regional MRI