Interpretation of genotype x environment interaction and stability analysis for grain yield of pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan L.)

Fourteen pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan L.) genotypes were evaluated for their yield performance at two locations during kharif season of 2009-10 and 2010-11. A significant genotypic difference for yield character was observed. Highly significant genotype–environment interaction indicated differential response of the genotypes to the environmental changes. The stability analysis showed significance of linear component of variation for grain yield. The genotypes TJT-501 (1728.667Kg/Ha) and GRG-2009-3 (1570.000 Kg/Ha) exhibited low meanperformance along with regression value nearer to unity (bi=1) and non significant deviation from regression (S2 di=0) indicating, the high stability and wider adaptability across the different environments. The genotype ICPH-2671 (3134.833 Kg/Ha) exhibited highest mean value and regression value (bi>1) and non significant deviation (S2 di < 0). But genotypes JKM-197 (3072.667 Kg/ha), GRG-2009 (29993.167 Kg/ha), TS-3R (2823.333 Kg / Ha) and ICP-8863 (2740.417 Kg/Ha) exhibited high mean performance but higher regression value (bi>1) and significant deviation (S2 di < 0) value indicating adapted for high performance environments showing these genotypes are sensitive to environments and give maximum yield when inputs are not limited

The comparisons of the efficacy of two fixed dose combinations, i.e. Salmeterol and Fluticasone vs. Formoterol and Tiotropium bromide in moderate to severe COPD patients

Background: Bronchodilators are essential for symptomatic management of all stages of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). For patients whose COPD is not sufficiently controlled by monotherapy, combining a ß2-agonist with either inhaled steroid or anticholinergic drug is a convenient way of delivering treatment. Currently, there is no documentation to say that one drug is superior to other or the contrary, but a combination of two drugs is more effective than giving single drug alone in patients suffering from COPD.Methods: The study was prospective, open labelled, randomized, comparative interventional clinical study conducted by the Departments of Pharmacology and Medicine, Basaveshwara Medical College and Hospital, Chitradurga in 60 moderates to severe COPD patients.Results: Both the treatments i.e. Salmeterol/Fluticasone and Tiotropium/Formoterol were equally effective as far as the improvement of the lung functions and Borg dyspnoea score are concerned. The difference in improvement with the combination of Salmeterol/Fluticasone was not statistically significant (p>0.05) compared to the combination of Tiotropium/Formoterol. However, Salmeterol/Fluticasone was found to be better than Tiotropium/Formoterol in improving the lung function of moderate to severe COPD patients.Conclusions: Salmeterol/Fluticasone is efficacious and better than Tiotropium /Formoterol combination for maintenance therapy in moderate to severe COPD patients

Comparison of safety pattern of drugs used in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients in a tertiary care hospital

Background: As per GOLD (Global initiative for chronic obstructive lung disease) guidelines bronchodilators are required for symptomatic treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients. Currently there is no evidence to say about the safety of fixed dose combinations used in COPD patients. Since the drugs are to be taken for longer period, it is essential to know the safety aspects of these drugs. Moreover we don’t have adequate studies and documentation to say that a particular drug combination is better and safer for COPD patients.Methods: Prospective, open labelled, randomized, comparative, interventional clinical study conducted by the Departments of Pharmacology and Pulmonary Medicine of Basaveshwara Medical College and Hospital, Chitradurga in 40 COPD patients.Results: The fixed dose combinations of drugs used in both the treatment groups i.e. salmeterol/fluticasone and tiotropium/formoterol were equally safer and well tolerated. Some side effects noticed during the course of treatment were statistically significant when compared between the 2 groups, however they were milder and predictable adverse drug reactions.Conclusions: Systemic and severe adverse drug reactions were not observed during 8 week treatment period and the local side effects observed were mild in both the treatment groups. Hence the fixed dose combinations of salmeterol or fluticasone and tiotropium or formoterol are found to be safer for maintenance therapy in COPD patients

A comparative study of the learning styles among 1st, 2nd and final year MBBS students

Background: Learning style is the way students begin to focus, internalize and remember new and difficult information. Identifying the learning styles of medical students will enable the faculty to use appropriate T/L method to increase the grasping ability of their subject/ learning. Purpose of the study was to assess and compare the learning styles of 1st, 2nd and final MBBS students by using VARK questionnaire.Methods: This was an observational, cross-sectional study based on the questionnaire, conducted by the department of Pharmacology at Basaveshwara Medical College and Hospital, Chitradurga. The VARK learning styles assessment questionnaire was administered to 1st (96 students), 2nd (60 students) and Final year (49 students). The students were categorized as auditory, kinaesthetic, visual learner or read/write depending on the predominant option they chose. Independent sample 't' test was used to compare the mean scores between the two groups using the software SPSS v22.Results: 40% of students had unimodal and 60% had multimodal learning style. Final year MBBS students had higher percentage of multimodal learning style (73%). The most preferred style of learning among all the medical students was kinesthetic (6.6), followed by aural (5.5), visual (4.0) and read/write (3.5). There was significant difference between the learning styles of 1st and Final year MBBS students in Visual (p=0.01) and Read /Write (p= 0.008).Conclusions: Knowing that students have different learning styles and kinesthetic being the most preferred mode of learning will help medical faculty to develop teaching/learning strategies for better outcomes

A comparative study of efficacy and safety of flupirtine versus piroxicamin patients with low back pain

Background: Low back pain is a common musculoskeletal symptom caused by a variety of disorders that affect the lumbar spine. The most frustrating aspect in the treatment of low back pain is that there is “no magic bullets”. The objective of the study was to compare the efficacy and safety of flupirtine versus piroxicam in patients with back pain.Methods: This was prospective, open labeled, randomized, comparative clinical study conducted by the Departments Orthopedics and Pharmacology, BMC&H, Chitradurga. Study was conducted on 60 patients of either sex, aged above 18 years with low back pain. Assessments were done for Finger-to-Floor Distance (FFD), lumbar pain, Lasegue’s sign, tenderness of vertebral muscles, pain & sensory disturbance in lower limbs and response to therapy for efficacy. Parametric data was analyzed by t-test and proportions were compared using Chi-square test.Results: 74 patients were randomized to 2 groups of 37 each. Group I patients received flupirtine maleate 100 mg twice daily and Group II patients received piroxicam 20 mg twice daily for 14 days. 30 patients in each group completed the study and were analysed. On intergroup comparison, there was no statistical difference (p>0.05) in the efficacy parameters of finger-to-floor distance (FFD), lumbar pain, Lasegue’s sign, tenderness of vertebral muscles, sensory disturbance in lower limbs, VAS scores & global assessment of response to therapy. 13.3% in flupirtine group and 16.6% in piroxicam group reported adverse events.  Conclusions: Both flupiritine and piroxicam were equally effective but flupirtine was better tolerated than piroxicam.

The Indian marine pearls- A culture technique for pearl production

Even though experiments on production of cultured pearls were initiated in India in early 1930's, success was achieved only in the 70's when the free spherical pearls were produced. The Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI), after successfully producing the spherical pearls, has developed a technology to produce the pearl oyster seed by the hatchery method and farming the oysters at sea. Training was imparted on these important technologies to technicians both at national and international levels

Reconstruction for Time-Domain In Vivo EPR 3D Multigradient Oximetric Imaging—A Parallel Processing Perspective

Three-dimensional Oximetric Electron Paramagnetic Resonance Imaging using the Single Point Imaging modality generates unpaired spin density and oxygen images that can readily distinguish between normal and tumor tissues in small animals. It is also possible with fast imaging to track the changes in tissue oxygenation in response to the oxygen content in the breathing air. However, this involves dealing with gigabytes of data for each 3D oximetric imaging experiment involving digital band pass filtering and background noise subtraction, followed by 3D Fourier reconstruction. This process is rather slow in a conventional uniprocessor system. This paper presents a parallelization framework using OpenMP runtime support and parallel MATLAB to execute such computationally intensive programs. The Intel compiler is used to develop a parallel C++ code based on OpenMP. The code is executed on four Dual-Core AMD Opteron shared memory processors, to reduce the computational burden of the filtration task significantly. The results show that the parallel code for filtration has achieved a speed up factor of 46.66 as against the equivalent serial MATLAB code. In addition, a parallel MATLAB code has been developed to perform 3D Fourier reconstruction. Speedup factors of 4.57 and 4.25 have been achieved during the reconstruction process and oximetry computation, for a data set with 23 × 23 × 23 gradient steps. The execution time has been computed for both the serial and parallel implementations using different dimensions of the data and presented for comparison. The reported system has been designed to be easily accessible even from low-cost personal computers through local internet (NIHnet). The experimental results demonstrate that the parallel computing provides a source of high computational power to obtain biophysical parameters from 3D EPR oximetric imaging, almost in real-time

Survey of Valinokkam Bay and adjoining area to assess its suitability for integrated sea farming — A report

The Valinokkam Bay and the adjoining area, east of the Bay surveyed, lie between Lat. 9°9' N and 9° 12' N and Long. 78°30'E and 78°42'E . The available information indicates that the bay and the adjoining grounds in the sea are highly productive and suitable for sea farming activities