Development of Fertilizer Prescription Targeted Yield-Equation for Carrot Crop Based on Soil Test Values

A field experiment was conducted on red soils (Kandic paleustalfs) of Zonal Agricultural Research Station, GKVK, Bangalore during kharif 2008-09 to develop a targeted yield equation for carrot crop. After developing three levels of fertility gradient with respect to available NPK in soil, the main experiment was conducted by taking carrot as a test crop. Initial soil data, carrot root yield and NPK uptake by carrot crop were used for obtaining four important basic parameters, viz., nutrients required to produce a quintal of carrot roots (NR%), contribution of nutrients from fertilizers (CF%), contribution of nutrients from soil (CS%) and contribution of nutrients from organic matter (%C-OM). These parameters were used for developing fertilizer-adjustment targeted yield equation. Comparison of the present soil testing laboratory method with Soil Test Crop Response approach of fertilizer recommendation clearly indicated superiority of STCR targeted yield approach for efficient and economic use of fertilizers to attain the required yield target

Internal displacement reactions in multicomponent oxides. Part I. Line compounds with narrow homogeneity range

As a model of an internal displacement reaction involving a ternary oxide "line" compound, the following reaction was studied at 1273 K as a function of time, t: Fe + NiTiO3 = "Ni" + "FeTiO3" Both polycrystalline and single-crystal materials were used as the starting NiTiO3 oxide. During the reaction, the Ni in the oxide compound is displaced by Fe and it precipitates as a γ-(Ni-Fe) alloy. The reaction preserves the starting ilmenite structure. The product oxide has a constant Ti concentration across the reaction zone, with variation in the concentration of Fe and Ni, consistent with ilmenite composition. In the case of single-crystal NiTiO3 as the starting oxide, the γ alloy has a "layered" structure and the layer separation is suggestive of Liesegang-type precipitation. In the case of polycrystalline NiTiO3 as the starting oxide, the alloy precipitates mainly along grain boundaries, with some particles inside the grains. A concentration gradient exists in the alloy across the reaction zone and the composition is >95 at. pct Ni at the reaction front. The parabolic rate constant for the reaction is kp = 1.3 × 10-12 m2 s-1 and is nearly the same for both single-crystal and polycrystalline oxides

Formation of Binary & Ternary Chelates of Calmagite with Lanthanides in Presence of Some Amino Polycarboxylic Acids

172-173The formation constants of 1:1 and 1:2 binary Ln(III)-calmagite (CLM) and 1:1:1 ternary [Ln(III)-CLM-A] chelates [where Ln(III)=La, Pr, Nd, Gd, Dy and Y; A= iminodiacetic acid (IMDA), hydroxyethyliminodiacetic acid (HIMDA) and nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA)] have been determined pH-metrically in 50% (v/v) aq. methanol medium at 30°C and I= 0.1 M (NaClO4). The ligand calmagite coordinates as a secondary ligand in presence of IMDA, HIMDA and NTA with all the metal ions. The order of formation constants of binary as well as ternary chelates is found to be: La Y

FABRICATION AND TESTING OF HEMP FIBRE REINFORCED EPOXY COMPOSITES

Over the last decennium, composites of polymers reinforced with natural fibers have attracted field both from the academic world and from various industries. The most important of the natural fibers used in composite materials are flax, hemp, kenaf and sisal due to their properties and availability. Natural fibers based on cellulose have a low density, high stiffness and strong compared to those of glass fibers. For the automotive industry, where weight reduction always is an issue, this was said to be the original reason for the development of interior parts with natural fibers as fillers. The works evaluate study of mechanical behavior and develop a polymer matrix composite using hemp fiber by varying percentage weight fraction of hemp fibers by using hand lay-up method. The fabricated composite samples were trimmed according to the ASTM standards for different experiments and its characterization is performed

A to G transitions at 260, 386 and 437 in DAZL gene are not associated with spermatogenic failure in Indian population

The autosomal DAZL (Deleted-in-Azoospermic-Like) gene, mapped to the short arm of the human chromosome 3, is the precursor for the Y-chromosomal DAZ cluster, which encodes for putative RNA-binding proteins. Mutations in the DAZL have been reported to be associated with spermatogenic failure in Taiwanese population but not in Caucasians. As there was no study on Indian populations, we have analysed the entire coding sequences of exons 2 and 3 of DAZL in a total of 1010 men from Indian subcontinent, including 660 infertile men with 598 non-obstructive azoospermia, 62 severe oligozoospermia and 350 normozoospermic fertile control men, to investigate whether mutation(s) in the DAZL is associated with male infertility. Interestingly, none of our samples (1010) showed A386G (T54A) mutation, which was found to be associated with spermatogenic failure in Taiwanese population. In contrast, A260G (T12A) mutation was observed in both infertile and normozoospermic fertile control men, without any significant association with infertile groups (χ2=0.342; p=0.556). Similarly, we have found a novel A437G (I71V) mutation, which is also present in both infertile and normozoospermic fertile control men without any significant difference (χ2=0.476; p=0.490). Our study clearly demonstrates the complete absence of the A386G (T54A) mutation in Indian subcontinent and the other two mutations- A260G (T12A) and A437G (I71V)- observed are polymorpic. Therefore, we conclude that these mutations in the DAZL gene are not associated with male infertility in Indian subcontinent

First Order Kaon Condensation in Neutron Stars: Finite Size Effects in the Mixed Phase

We study the role of Coulomb and surface effects on the phase transition from dense nuclear matter to a mixed phase of nuclear and kaon-condensed matter. We calculate corrections to the bulk calculation of the equation of state (EOS) and the critical density for the transition by solving explicitly for spherical, cylindrical, and planar structures. The importance of Debye screening in the determination of the charged particle profiles is studied in some detail. We find that the surface and Coulomb contributions to the energy density are small, but that they play an important role in the determination of the critical pressure for the transition, as well as affecting the size and geometry of favored structures. This changes the EOS over a wide range of pressure and consequently increases the maximum mass by about 0.1 solar masses. Implications for transport properties of the mixed phase are also discussed.Comment: 18 pages, 6 figure

Long-term follow-up of truncus arteriosus repaired in infancy: A twenty-year experience

AbstractBackground: There have been few reports of long-term follow-up after truncus arteriosus repair in infancy. Methods: A retrospective review was performed to assess long-term outcomes among 165 patients who survived the initial hospital stay after complete repair of truncus arteriosus since 1975. The median age at truncus repair over this 20-year experience was 3.5 months (range 2 days to 36 years), and 81% of patients were less than 1 year of age. Previous pulmonary artery banding had been performed in 15 patients, and two patients had undergone prior repair of interrupted aortic arch. Significant procedures performed along with truncus repair included truncal valve replacement (n = 10) or repair (n = 5) and repair of interrupted aortic arch (n = 4). Results: Patients were followed up for up to 20.4 years (median 10.5 years). Twenty-five patients were lost at cross-sectional follow-up, with a total of 67 patient-years of follow-up available on these patients. There have been 23 late deaths, eight of which occurred within 6 months of repair and 13 of which occurred within 1 year. Ten of the late deaths were related to reoperations. Actuarial survival among all hospital survivors was 90% at 5 years, 85% at 10 years, and 83% at 15 years and was essentially identical for infants alone. A significant independent risk factor for poorer long-term survival was truncus with moderate to severe truncal valve insufficiency before repair. During the follow-up period, 107 patients underwent 133 conduit reoperations. Median time to conduit reoperation was 5.5 years, and the only factor significantly associated with shorter time to conduit replacement was smaller conduit size at initial repair. In addition, 26 patients underwent 30 truncal valve replacements. Six patients required truncal valve replacement before any conduit-related reintervention, with two associated deaths. Actuarial freedom from truncal valve replacement among patients with no prerepair truncal valve insufficiency was 95% at 10 years. Actuarial freedom from truncal valve replacement was significantly lower among patients with truncal insufficiency before initial repair (63% at 10 years). At follow-up, all patients except three were in New York Heart Association functional class I. Conclusions: Ten- to 20-year survival and functional status are excellent among infants undergoing complete repair of truncus arteriosus. Conduit replacement or revision is almost inevitably necessary in this group of patients. (J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 1997;113:869-79