Response of Beet Root Tubers to Gypsum, P Levels, Boron and Iron Sulphate in Salt-Affected Soils

A field-experiment was conducted in salt-affected soils of Dodda Seebi tank command area of Tumkur district, Karnataka during rabi season of 2007 to study effect of gypsum, P level, borax and iron sulphate on beet root tuber yield and nutrient uptake. Treatments included two main-plot treatments, viz., M0: Control (without gypsum) and M1: gypsum application @ 9.0 t ha-1 and eight sub-plot treatments, viz., S1: Phosphorus @ 100 kg P2O5 ha-1, S2: Phosphorus @ 150 kg P2O5 ha-1, S3: S1 + Borax @ 5 kg ha-1, S4: S2 + Borax @ 5 kg ha-1, S5: S1 + FeSO5 @ 25 kg ha-1, S6: S2 + FeSO4 @ 25 kg ha-1, S7: S3 + FeSO4 @ 25 kg ha-1 and S8: S4 + FeSO4 @ 25 kg ha-1. Recommended N and K were applied to all treatments. The experiment was laid out in split plot design with three replications. Beet root, a salt-tolerant crop, was sown for testing its performance in salt-affected soils. Significantly higher tuber yield of 12.70 t ha-1 was realized when the crop received gypsum @ 9.0 t ha-1 compared to control (7.73 t ha-1), besides higher nutrient uptake by the tubers. Among the nutrients, application of P at higher level (150 kg P2O5 ha-1) plus recommended NK along with borax and iron sulphate realized higher tuber yield (15.72 t ha-1) as well as nutrients uptake by tubers. Crop that received gypsum in combination with P at a higher level plus recommended NK, along with borax and iron sulphate, resulted in highest tuber yield (19.72 t ha-1) and nutrient uptake

Effect of letrozole on masculinization of Siamese fighting fish (Betta splendens)

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of letrozole (a non-steroidal aromatase inhibitor) on masculinization of Siamese fighting fish (Betta splendens). Different doses of letrozole 50, 100, 150 and 200 ppm (mg/kg feed) were incorporated into diet and fed for periods of 30, 40 or 50 days. Immersion treatment of letrozole at selected doses (250, 500, 750 and 1,000?g/l) for 3 h each on third, fifth and eighth day-post-hatching (dph) (Trial 1) and fourth, sixth and eighth dph (Trial 2) was given.The oral administration of letrozole for 30, 40 or 50 days did not have any significant effect on the sex ratio of B. splendens. The immersion treatment of letrozole induced 100% masculinization at 500 and 1000?g/l in trial 1, while it yielded only 66.66 and 90% male population at 500 and 1000 ?g/l in Trial 2. The dietary administration of letrozole for 30 and 50 days caused tail deformities and/or rudimentary and absence of dorsal fin. The progeny testing of males from letrozole treated (both oral and immersion) groups indicate that the sex ratio of progenies of each of the males tested did not differ significantly from that of control, indicating that all those males carried XY genotype. Letrozole treatments suppressed ovarian development (atretic oocytes were common). However, the testicular development was unaffected. The study revealed that immersion treatment of letrozole was more effective in inducing masculinization of B. splendens than the oral administration of letrozole

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

Study of Vibration Behaviour of Stiffened Polymer Composite Shells for Underwater Structural Applications

This paper presents vibration behavior of ring stiffened polymer composite thick shells used for underwater structures. Filament wound shells stiffened with internal and external rings and with hemispherical ends were tested for vibration in air and water in free-free boundary condition using roving hammer and fixed response method. Modal testing of the shells was performed under hydrostatic loading in a custom designed buckling tester for determining natural frequency at higher sea depths. Accelerometer was mounted on the inner surface of the shell. It was excited using a plumbob, rope and pulley arrangement. Experimental results were validated by modal analysis using Hyperworks and ANSYS. Vibration behavior in water was simulated by Fluid structure interaction approach. Experimental first natural frequency in water was lesser than that in air. With increase in hydrostatic pressure, the shell showed moderate variation in natural frequency. The experimental and numerical results of natural frequency and mode shapes were in good agreement with each other. Natural frequencies were lower in long and thick shells

A ternary PEDOT-TiO2-reduced graphene oxide nanocomposite for supercapacitor applications

A ternary composite of PEDOT was prepared with TiO2 via emulsion polymerization method adjusting various weight ratios of TiO2 to PEDOT and synthesized rGO was then blended with this composite. The FTIR, UV–Vis and XRD analysis displayed characteristic features of PEDOT and TiO2. The morphology of the nano-hybrid structure was additionally investigated by SEM analysis. Pore size and surface area analysis of particles were characterized by BET method. The electrochemical analysis showed that the specific capacitance (Csp) for PEDOT-TiO2-15-rGO was 18.9 F.cm-2 at 0.1 mA g-1 current density

Effect of Nonsteroidal Aromatase Inhibitor on Sex Reversal of Oreochromis mossambicus (Peters, 1852)

In the present study, the efficacy of letrozole, a potent nonsteroidal aromatase inhibitor, and 17a-methyltestosterone on gondal sex differentiation and sex reversal was examined in Mozambique tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus). Among the doses tried in the experiment, 100 mg letrozole, 200 mg letrozole, and 50 mg 17a-methyltestosterone/kg produced male dominated populations (97-100% males). The combination of 100 mg letrozole+25 mg 17a-methyltestoster/kg yielded 100% males while the combination of 50 mg letrozole+25 mg 17a-methyltestosterone/kg yielded 92% males. The control group consisted of 48.05% males and 51.95% females, close to the normal sex ratio of 1:1. Survival ranged 85.61-94.31% in the treated groups, significantly higher than 73.83% in the control (p<0.05). In general, the letrozole and combination treatments resulted in a slight alteration in the gonadosomatic index of the tilapia. Administration of letrozole alone or in combination with 17a-MT did not adversely affect the proximate composition of the muscle. Results suggest that letrozole and 17a-methyltestosterone have the potential to produce 100% male populations in Mozambique tilapia and that inhibition of aromatase activity influences sex differentiation in Mozambique tilapia

Fernando Ortiz y las relaciones científicas hispano-cubanas, 1900-1940

La formación científica que Fernando Ortiz adquirió en España junto a prestigiosos hombres de la cultura –antropología, criminología, sociología e historia–, su concepción de la cultura, la ciencia, la nación y el contacto continuo con muchos de los intelectuales herederos de los principios de la Institución Libre de Enseñanza y miembros de la Junta para la Ampliación de Estudios e Investigaciones Científicas, fueron elementos claves para el establecimiento de las relaciones culturales y científicas entre España y Cuba, basadas en la ciencia. La consolidación de éstas, con la creación de la Institución Hispanocubana de Cultura, posibilitó la acogida de exiliados intelectuales españoles en 1939.Peer reviewe