GROWTH, INSTABILITY AND ACREAGE RESPONSE FUNCTION IN PRODUCTION OF CUMIN IN RAJASTHAN

The study was conducted to find out the compound growth rates, instability and acreage response functions of cumin crop in selected districts and for the state as a whole for the period I (1991-92 to 2000- 01), period II (2001- 02 to 2010-11) and overall period (1991-92 to 2010-11).The production of coriander crop increased significantly in Kota (6.18per cent), Jhalawar (9.65per cent), Baran (11.10per cent) districts and state as a whole (9.10per cent) and Production of cumin spice decreased in Jalore district (-7.66per cent), Jodhpur district (-7.78per cent) and state as a whole (-1.03per cent) during period I which was due to negative growth in productivity under the crop by (-) 2.16,(-) 12.68 and (-) 3.19 per cent per annum similarly, Production of fenugreek crop increased significantly in Kota (64.50per cent) and Jhunjhunu (36.22per cent) districts. The magnitude of instability in cumin crop was higher in production as compared to productivity and area except Barmer district (in context of I3 measure) during period I, where the variation in productivity was more. Cumin spice was found to have both pushing and pulling factors, almost equal in number. The lagged area and price, current and lagged year rainfall, current irrigated area and variability in yield responded in positive direction to boost up area under cumin

Stereoselective Synthesis of (-)-Spicigerolide

(-)-Spicigerolide was enantioselectively synthesized from a protected (S)-lactaldehyde. The synthesis of the polyacetylated framework relied on two Zn-mediated stereoselective additions of alkynes to aldehydes as well as a regiocontrolled [3,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement of an allylic acetate. The pyranone moiety was constructed via ring-closing metathesis

Re-establishing the ‘outsiders’: English press coverage of the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup

In 2015, the England Women’s national football team finished third at the Women’s World Cup in Canada. Alongside the establishment of the Women’s Super League in 2011, the success of the women’s team posed a striking contrast to the recent failures of the England men’s team and in doing so presented a timely opportunity to examine the negotiation of hegemonic discourses on gender, sport and football. Drawing upon an ‘established-outsider’ approach, this article examines how, in newspaper coverage of the England women’s team, gendered constructions revealed processes of alteration, assimilation and resistance. Rather than suggesting that ‘established’ discourses assume a normative connection between masculinity and football, the findings reveal how gendered ‘boundaries’ were both challenged and protected in newspaper coverage. Despite their success, the discursive positioning of the women’s team as ‘outsiders’, served to (re)establish men’s football as superior, culturally salient and ‘better’ than the women’s team/game. Accordingly, we contend that attempts to build and, in many instances, rediscover the history of women’s football, can be used to challenge established cultural representations that draw exclusively from the history of the men’s game. In such instances, the 2015 Women’s World Cup provides a historical moment from which the women’s game can be relocated in a context of popular culture

Poultry Science

Efficacious euthanasia by applying man-ual cervical dislocation can be difficult on large and mature poultry. The challenge with using manual cervical dislocation is that the strength required to hold heavy poultry and swiftly apply cervical dislocation can be phys-ically impossible for most people. Therefore, alternative methods of euthanasia are needed for mature and large poultry. Mechanical cervical dislocation using the Koech-ner Euthanizing Device (KED), captive bolt using the Turkey Euthanasia Device (TED), carbon dioxide (CO2), and electrical euthanasia were evaluated for use on 65-wk-old broiler breeders at flock termination. Fol-lowing application of each method, physiological reflexes including the eye nictitating membrane reflex, mouth gaping, and body movement, broken skin, blood loss, kill success, time to cessation of heartbeat, and blood plasma corticosterone levels were assessed. Birds euthanized using the KED had longer response durations for eye nictitating membrane (91 s) and reflexive mouth gaping (161 s) com-pared to TED, CO2, and electrical euthanasia (0-7 s). Body movement durations were also longer for KED (214 s) and TED (209 s) than for CO2 and electrical euthana-sia (0-8 s). The highest percentages of broken skin (93%) and blood loss (96%) were observed for TED, followed by KED (71%, 68%), then CO2 (0%, 6%) and electrical euthanasia (0%, 3%). No significant differences (P = 0.1781) were observed for kill success rates with 98% for KED, 100% for TED, 97% for CO2, and 100% for electri-cal euthanasia at 4-min. Time to heartbeat cessation did not differ between KED (659 s), TED (427 s), or CO2 (583 s) euthanasia methods. No heartbeat was detected following electrical euthanasia. Blood plasma corticoste-rone levels did not differ between preeuthanasia or post -euthanasia from any of the methods applied. Based on these results each euthanasia method is acceptable for use with broiler breeders.U.S. Poultry and Egg project [BRF011]; USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Hatch/Multi State project [1015896]Published versionThis work was supported by U.S. Poultry and Egg project #BRF011 and the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Hatch/Multi State project 1015896

Weekend specialist intensity and admission mortality in acute hospital trusts in England: a cross-sectional study

SummaryBackgroundIncreased mortality rates associated with weekend hospital admission (the so-called weekend effect) have been attributed to suboptimum staffing levels of specialist consultants. However, evidence for a causal association is elusive, and the magnitude of the weekend specialist deficit remains unquantified. This uncertainty could hamper efforts by national health systems to introduce 7 day health services. We aimed to examine preliminary associations between specialist intensity and weekend admission mortality across the English National Health Service.MethodsEligible hospital trusts were those in England receiving unselected emergency admissions. On Sunday June 15 and Wednesday June 18, 2014, we undertook a point prevalence survey of hospital specialists (consultants) to obtain data relating to the care of patients admitted as emergencies. We defined specialist intensity at each trust as the self-reported estimated number of specialist hours per ten emergency admissions between 0800 h and 2000 h on Sunday and Wednesday. With use of data for all adult emergency admissions for financial year 2013–14, we compared weekend to weekday admission risk of mortality with the Sunday to Wednesday specialist intensity ratio within each trust. We stratified trusts by size quintile.Findings127 of 141 eligible acute hospital trusts agreed to participate; 115 (91%) trusts contributed data to the point prevalence survey. Of 34 350 clinicians surveyed, 15 537 (45%) responded. Substantially fewer specialists were present providing care to emergency admissions on Sunday (1667 [11%]) than on Wednesday (6105 [42%]). Specialists present on Sunday spent 40% more time caring for emergency patients than did those present on Wednesday (mean 5·74 h [SD 3·39] vs 3·97 h [3·31]); however, the median specialist intensity on Sunday was only 48% (IQR 40–58) of that on Wednesday. The Sunday to Wednesday intensity ratio was less than 0·7 in 104 (90%) of the contributing trusts. Mortality risk among patients admitted at weekends was higher than among those admitted on weekdays (adjusted odds ratio 1·10, 95% CI 1·08–1·11; p<0·0001). There was no significant association between Sunday to Wednesday specialist intensity ratios and weekend to weekday mortality ratios (r −0·042; p=0·654).InterpretationThis cross-sectional analysis did not detect a correlation between weekend staffing of hospital specialists and mortality risk for emergency admissions. Further investigation is needed to evaluate whole-system secular change during the implementation of 7 day services. Policy makers should exercise caution before attributing the weekend effect mainly to differences in specialist staffing.FundingNational Institute for Health Research Health Services and Delivery Research Programme