Surface acoustic waves increase magnetic domain wall velocity

Domain walls in magnetic thin films are being explored for memory applications and the speed at which they move has acquired increasing importance. Magnetic fields and currents have been shown to drive domain walls with speeds exceeding 500 m/s. We investigate another approach to increase domain wall velocities, using high frequency surface acoustic waves to create standing strain waves in a 3 micron wide strip of magnetic film with perpendicular anisotropy. Our measurements, at a resonant frequency of 248.8 MHz, indicate that domain wall velocities increase substantially, even at relatively low applied voltages. Our findings suggest that the strain wave derived effective magnetic field acts as an additional driver for domain wall motion

Association Mapping for Net Blotch Resistance in Barley and a Study of Barley/Cereal Yellow Dwarf Virus in Minnesota

University of Minnesota M.S. thesis. August 2016. Major: Plant Pathology. Advisors: Madeleine Smith, Ruth Dill-Macky. 1 computer file (PDF); xxii, 205 pages.Genome wide association studies (GWAS) were conducted to identify net blotch (net form: caused by Pyrenophora teres f. teres) resistance loci in Ethiopia and Eritrea (EEBC) barley landraces and the elite germplasm of the Barley Coordinated Agricultural Project (Barley CAP). Two quantitative trait loci (chromosomes 5H and 6H) were identified in the EEBC. Resistance QTL were found in chromosomes 4H and 6H in the two-row panel, chromosomes 3H and 6H in the six-row panel and in chromosomes 3H, 4H, 6H and at an unmapped location in the combined Barley CAP germplasm. The distribution of Barley yellow dwarf (BYD), caused by Barley/cereal yellow dwarf virus (B/CYDV) in the Luteovirus family, in Minnesota was studied using 243 cereals and grass samples collected from 2013 to 2015. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction using virus strain specific primers revealed that BYDV-PAV was the most prevalent strain of B/CYDV.Adhikari, Anil. (2017). Association Mapping for Net Blotch Resistance in Barley and a Study of Barley/Cereal Yellow Dwarf Virus in Minnesota. Retrieved from the University Digital Conservancy, https://hdl.handle.net/11299/191206

VTON-IT: Virtual Try-On using Image Translation

Virtual Try-On (trying clothes virtually) is a promising application of the Generative Adversarial Network (GAN). However, it is an arduous task to transfer the desired clothing item onto the corresponding regions of a human body because of varying body size, pose, and occlusions like hair and overlapped clothes. In this paper, we try to produce photo-realistic translated images through semantic segmentation and a generative adversarial architecture-based image translation network. We present a novel image-based Virtual Try-On application VTON-IT that takes an RGB image, segments desired body part, and overlays target cloth over the segmented body region. Most state-of-the-art GAN-based Virtual Try-On applications produce unaligned pixelated synthesis images on real-life test images. However, our approach generates high-resolution natural images with detailed textures on such variant images

Genetic variability, heritability and genetic advance in cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.)

Genetic variability in a crop population is important for successful plant breeding. Eight cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) genotypes namely Green Long, Simran, Bhaktapur Local, Saihni-2, Ninja-179, Garima, Farmer’s variety and  wild genotype were evaluated at Lamahi Municipality, Dang district of Nepal to estimate the magnitude of their genetic variability and heritability. Analysis of variance revealed significant differences among genotypes for growth and yield traits. The estimates of genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV) and phenotypic coefficient of variation (PCV) were highest for weight of fruit whereas traits namely fruit length, fruit diameter and days to maturity had medium value for both GCV and PCV. Broad sense heritability estimates  ranged from 0.74 for fruit diameter to 0.98 for days to germination. Fruit yield showed high significant positive correlation with fruit diameter (r= 0.649) and negative significant correlation (r= -0.538) with days to flowering. Traits namely weight per fruit, days of germination, no. of flower and days to flowering can be used effectively in selection process of crop improvement program as they had high GCV, PCV and heritability along with high genetic advance as percentage of mean

System of crop intensification for more productive, resource-conserving, climate-resilient, and sustainable agriculture: experience with diverse crops in varying agroecologies

With continually increasing demand for food accompanied by the constraints of climate change and the availability and quality of soil and water, the world’s farmers are challenged to produce more food per hectare with less water, and with fewer agrochemical inputs if possible. The ideas and methods of the system of rice intensification which is improving irrigated rice production are now being extended/adapted to many other crops: wheat, maize, finger millet, sugarcane, tef, mustard, legumes, vegetables, and even spices. Promoting better root growth and enhancing the soil’s fertility with organic materials are being found effective means for raising the yields of many crop plants with less water, less fertilizer, reduced seeds, fewer agrochemicals, and greater climate resilience. In this article, we review what is becoming known about various farmer-centred innovations for agroecological crop management that can contribute to agricultural sustainability. These changes represent the emerging system of crop intensification, which is being increasingly applied in Asian, African, and Latin American countries. More research will be needed to verify the efficacy and impact of these innovations and to clarify their conditions and limits. But as no negative effects for human or environmental health have been identified, making these agronomic options more widely known should prompt more investigation and, to the extent justified by results, utilization of these methodologies

Effects of potassium levels on growth and productivity of potato varieties in inner terai of Nepal

Potassium is an essential nutrient for potato due to its direct effects on the growth, yield and quality of potato tubers. This study was carried out at Lamahi, Dang Nepal during winter season of 2018. Two potato variety (Local and Cardinal) and five levels of potassium (30, 40, 60, 80 and 100 kg K2O/ha) were evaluated in two factorial randomized block design with three replications. The application of potassium at 100 kg/ha produced significantly highest plant canopy, stem diameter and leaf length for the both varieties. The highest tuber number per plant (10.3 for Local and 17.6 for cardinal) and tuber weight (19.7 g for Local and 49 g for Cardinal) were obtained with the application of 100 kg K2O/ha. The highest gross margin was found with this level of potassium. Therefore, farmers should apply 100 kg K2O to potato to achieve maximum production and benefit.&nbsp

Effect of different tillage practices and nitrogen level on wheat production under inner terai of Nepal

A field experiment was conducted to evaluate the plant height, yield and yield attributes of wheat under different tillage practices and nitrogen level at Dang, Nepal during winter season 2018-19. The experiment was laid out in split plot design with two tillage practices viz. zero tillage and conventional tillage as main plot factor and four level of N viz. 50 kg ha-1, 75 kg ha-1, 100 kg ha-1and 125 kg ha-1 as sub plot factor and each replicated thrice.  The result revealed that there is no significant relation between tillage practice and plant height of wheat while N level significantly affect the plant height. 125 kg N ha-1 recorded the highest plant height (110.7 cm). Zero tillage recorded the highest effective tiller m-2 (254) and grain yield (3.3 t ha-1) whereas spike length, grain spike-1, biological yield and harvest index were not significant with tillage practices. Regarding the N level, 125 kg N ha-1 recorded the highest effective spike m-2 (279), spike length (10.6 cm), grain spike-1 (48), thousand grain weight (46.3 g), grain yield (3.6 t ha-1) and biological yield (9.4 t ha-1). 50 kg N ha-1 recorded the highest harvest index (42.9%). The interaction between the tillage practice and nitrogen level showed the significant effect on grain yield and harvest index where as other parameters showed non-significant relation. The zero tillage with 125 kg N ha-1 recorded the highest grain yield (3.9 t ha-1)

Efficacy of anti-thrombotic treatment in thrombophilia patients with adverse pregnancy outcome

Background: Thrombophilia is a potentially treatable cause of adverse pregnancy outcome. The objective was to compare the fetomaternal outcome in thrombophilia patients with adverse pregnancy outcome after treating with low-molecular-weight (LMW)/ unfractionated heparin and aspirin.Methods: 54 antenatal women studied who had an earlier or presenting pregnancy complicated by adverse pregnancy outcome were included in this study. In the present pregnancy, therapy consisting of LMW heparin and aspirin was administered who were found to be thrombophilia positive. Patients also received folic acid supplementation throughout their pregnancy. The fetomaternal outcome is compared according to the time of initiation of treatment.Results: Low-molecular-weight heparin and aspirin was well tolerated and none of the women or the newborns developed any hemorrhagic complications.3 thrombophilia negative cases with history of recurrent pregnancy loss aborted even getting treatment from 1 trimester. 1 thrombophilia positive case with history of recurrent pregnancy loss aborted when received treatment from 2nd trimester. There is 25.8% increase in birth weight of neonate if thrombophilia positive cases were treated from 1st trimester. Whereas there was only 10.23% increase in birth weight in thrombophilia negative cases when treated from first trimester. We found, our treatment was significantly effective in preventing IUD, IUGR, abruption, abortion, eclampsia. Though prevention of PIH had no significant correlation with antithrombotic treatment, only 2 cases booked from 1st trimester developed PIH among thrombophilia positive cases. But neither of cases had suffered from any severe complication as compared to 81% of eclampsia cases, 16.67% of DVT cases, 1 case of mortality in cases treated after third trimester.Conclusions: This case control trial suggests that patients with adverse pregnancy outcome and thrombophilia may get benefit from treatment with combined LMW heparin and aspirin in subsequent pregnancies. We suggest all patients with adverse pregnancy outcome should be investigated for thrombophilia markers

PRELIMINARY EVALUATION OF AN ANTHRAQUINONE CONJUGATED DOTA DERIVATIVE AS SPECT AGENT

Objective: An anthraquinone derivative, DO3A-Act-AQ having DO3A (1, 4, 7, 10-tetraazacyclododecane-1, 4, 7-trisacetic acid) scaffold is radio labeled with 99mTc radioisotope and evaluated as a SPECT imaging agent for tumor.Methods: Preliminary in-vivo evaluation of 99mTc-DO3A-Act-AQ radioconjugate including blood kinetics, biodistribution and gamma scintigraphic imaging is performed on BMG-1 tumor xenografted mice after successful optimization of the radiolabeling condition.Results: The radiotracer, 99mTc-DO3A-Act-AQ was produced in high radiochemical yield of>96% and specific activity of 3.62 MBq/nmol at pH 7.5 and 150 µg stannous chloride. Radioconjugate displayed excellent in-vitro and in-vivo stability with only ~2% transchelation of radiometal at 24 h p. i and rapid blood clearance from the system with t1/2(F) = 38.04±0.35 min and t1/2(S) = 5 h 30 min±0.67. Significant tumor-to-muscle ratio of>7 at 2 h p. i. in biodistribution and SPECT imaging studies in BMG-1 tumor xenografted mice suggested the tumor specificity of the radioconjugate.Conclusion: Stable radiocomplex formation of 99mTc-DO3A-Act-AQ and its significant tumor specificity demonstrated its future application as a promising SPECT radioligand for tumor imaging

Prevalence and significance of thrombophilia markers in adverse pregnancy outcome

Background: Thrombophilia complicates the pregnancy by interfering the physiology of utero-placental circulation which in turn leads to IUGR, IUD, PIH, RPL, abruption placentae. This study is to find out the prevalence and significance of different thrombophilia markers in cases of adverse pregnancy outcome in eastern part of Uttar Pradesh, India.Methods: 54 antenatal women are selected from the cases presented with or previous history of PIH, IUGR, IUD, Abruption or early/late abortion. A thorough family history, history of risk factors, clinical examination were noted. Platelet count, prothrombin time(PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), plasma fibrinogen, factor-VIII assay, LA, ACLA, protein- C, protein- S, TORCH, thyroid profile, blood sugar, USG is done in all patients at the time of first registration. 50 antenatal females without any bad obstetric history was taken as controls.Results: Among 54 cases, 64.8% cases were positive for thrombophilia markers, whereas 6% control had presence of thrombophilia markers. 6.5% thrombophilia positive cases had ≥3 markers present and had ≥2 manifestations of adverse pregnancy outcome in 100% cases. Prevalence of different thrombophilia markers are studied in individual case and association to various outcomes were noted.Conclusions: There was high prevalence of thrombophilia markers in the cases with adverse pregnancy outcome. As treatment was found significantly effective in literature, screening of these markers should be done in patients with bad obstetric history