Carbon Sequestration Potential of Pasture-Based Systems Along an Altitudinal Gradient in the North-Western Himalayas

The present investigation was carried out in the Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh (India) to identify the pasture-based land use systems being practiced by farmers and to find out their carbon sequestration potential along different altitudes. For carrying out the study, the area was divided into four altitudinal ranges viz., zone-I (\u3c1000 m amsl), zone-II (1000-1500 m amsl), zone-III (1500- 2500 m amsl) and zone-IV (\u3e 2500 m amsl), according to agro-ecological zones in the state. Results revealed that the pasture-based systems practiced by the farmers in the altitudinal zone-I and zone-II were silvo-pasture and pastoral-silviculture, while, at altitudinal zone-III and zone-IV, the pasture-based systems being practiced were pastoral-silviculture and horti-pastoral depending upon the composition of the components. The aboveground biomass was found ranging between 27.78- 38.18 Mg ha-1 among different pasture-based land use systems with maximum aboveground biomass under silvo-pasture system and minimum under pastoral-silviculture. Along altitudinal gradient, aboveground biomass was found to have been increased with values varying between 29.09- 34.12 Mg ha-1 . Belowground biomass ranged between 6.93- 9.80 Mg ha-1 in different systems under consideration and generally showed increasing trend with increasing altitude. Overall biological productivity was found to be highest under silvo-pasture system followed by horti-pastoral and pastoral-silviculture system. Being biologically most productive, silvopasture system stored maximum carbon stock and ultimately sequestered more carbon as compared to the other systems. The estimated vegetation carbon sequestration potential of the pasture-based systems was 63.71- 88.06 Mg ha-1 , while, along altitude the carbon sequestration potential varied from 67.14- 78.62 Mg ha-1 showing increasing trend with altitude

Optical and photoelectronic properties of a new material:Optoelectronic application

With the aim of studying the optical, electrochemical, and electronic properties of a new porphyrin-based material, we have synthesized a new porphyrinic complex, namely the (4,4$^{\prime}$-bipyridine)(meso-tetratrifluoromethylphenylporphyrinato)zinc(II) 4,4$^{\prime}$-bipyridine disolvate dihydrate complex with the formula [Zn(TFMPP)(4,4$^{\prime}$-bipy)]${\cdot }$2(4,4$^{\prime}$-bipy)${\cdot }$2H2O (I). This species is characterized by single-crystal X-ray molecular structure. The optical study is performed by UV–visible absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy. The fluorescence intensity presents an emission in the UV–visible range, indicating that this compound can be used as an optoelectronic material. The optical energy gap is 1.95 eV, and the current–voltage characteristics and impedance spectroscopy measurements have been studied to define the electronic properties of the zinc (II) porphyrin complex. The barrier height ${\phi }_{\mathrm{b}}$ is calculated, and the space-charge limited current mechanism is found to control the conductance. The results from the electronic study confirm that our porphyrin derivative can be used for various optoelectronic applications

Avapritinib versus regorafenib in locally advanced unresectable or metastatic GI stromal tumor: A randomized, open-label phase III study

PURPOSE Primary or secondary mutations in KIT or platelet-derived growth factor receptor alpha (PDGFRA) underlie tyrosine kinase inhibitor resistance in most GI stromal tumors (GISTs). Avapritinib selectively and potently inhibits KIT- and PDGFRA-mutant kinases. In the phase I NAVIGATOR study (NCT02508532), avapritinib showed clinical activity against PDGFRA D842V–mutant and later-line KIT-mutant GIST. VOYAGER (NCT03465722), a phase III study, evaluated efficacy and safety of avapritinib versus regorafenib as third-line or later treatment in patients with unresectable or metastatic GIST. PATIENTS AND METHODS VOYAGER randomly assigned patients 1:1 to avapritinib 300 mg once daily (4 weeks continuously) or regorafenib 160 mg once daily (3 weeks on and 1 week off). Primary end point was progression-free survival (PFS) by central radiology per RECIST version 1.1 modified for GIST. Secondary end points included objective response rate, overall survival, safety, disease control rate, and duration of response. Regorafenib to avapritinib crossover was permitted upon centrally confirmed disease progression. RESULTS Four hundred seventy-six patients were randomly assigned (avapritinib, n 5 240; regorafenib, n 5 236). Median PFS was not statistically different between avapritinib and regorafenib (hazard ratio, 1.25; 95% CI, 0.99 to 1.57; 4.2 v 5.6 months; P 5 .055). Overall survival data were immature at cutoff. Objective response rates were 17.1% and 7.2%, with durations of responses of 7.6 and 9.4 months for avapritinib and regorafenib; disease control rates were 41.7% (95% CI, 35.4 to 48.2) and 46.2% (95% CI, 39.7 to 52.8). Treatment-related adverse events (any grade, grade $ 3) were similar for avapritinib (92.5% and 55.2%) and regorafenib (96.2% and 57.7%). CONCLUSION Primary end point was not met. There was no significant difference in median PFS between avapritinib and regorafenib in patients with molecularly unselected, late-line GIST

Market dynamics, innovation, and transition in China's solar photovoltaic (PV) industry: a critical review

China's photovoltaic (PV) industry has undergone dramatic development in recent years and is now the global market leader in terms of newly added capacity. However, market diffusion and adoption in China is not ideal. This paper examines the blocking and inducement mechanisms of China's PV industry development from the perspective of technological innovation. By incorporating a Technological Innovation System (TIS) approach, the analysis performed here complements the previous literature, which has not grounded itself in a theoretical framework. In addition, to determine the current market dynamics, we closely examine market concentration trends as well as the vertical and horizontal integration of upstream and downstream actors (74.8% and 36.3%). The results of applying the TIS framework reveal that poor connectivity in networks, unaligned competitive entities and a lack of market supervision obstruct the development of China's PV industry. Therefore, we maintain that inducement mechanisms are required to instigate learning-by-doing capacities, which may help overcome blocking mechanisms and offset functional innovation deficiencies. In addition, policy implications are proposed for promoting the development of the PV industry in China

A comparison between ultraviolet disinfection and copper alginate beads within a vortex bioreactor for the deactivation of bacteria in simulated waste streams with high levels of colour, humic acid and suspended solids.

We show in this study that the combination of a swirl flow reactor and an antimicrobial agent (in this case copper alginate beads) is a promising technique for the remediation of contaminated water in waste streams recalcitrant to UV-C treatment. This is demonstrated by comparing the viability of both common and UV-C resistant organisms in operating conditions where UV-C proves ineffective - notably high levels of solids and compounds which deflect UV-C. The swirl flow reactor is easy to construct from commonly available plumbing parts and may prove a versatile and powerful tool in waste water treatment in developing countries

Gastrointestinal decontamination in the acutely poisoned patient

ObjectiveTo define the role of gastrointestinal (GI) decontamination of the poisoned patient.Data sourcesA computer-based PubMed/MEDLINE search of the literature on GI decontamination in the poisoned patient with cross referencing of sources.Study selection and data extractionClinical, animal and in vitro studies were reviewed for clinical relevance to GI decontamination of the poisoned patient.Data synthesisThe literature suggests that previously, widely used, aggressive approaches including the use of ipecac syrup, gastric lavage, and cathartics are now rarely recommended. Whole bowel irrigation is still often recommended for slow-release drugs, metals, and patients who "pack" or "stuff" foreign bodies filled with drugs of abuse, but with little quality data to support it. Activated charcoal (AC), single or multiple doses, was also a previous mainstay of GI decontamination, but the utility of AC is now recognized to be limited and more time dependent than previously practiced. These recommendations have resulted in several treatment guidelines that are mostly based on retrospective analysis, animal studies or small case series, and rarely based on randomized clinical trials.ConclusionsThe current literature supports limited use of GI decontamination of the poisoned patient

Evaluation of efficient vehicular ad hoc networks based on a maximum distance routing algorithm

Traffic management at road intersections is a complex requirement that has been an important topic of research and discussion. Solutions have been primarily focused on using vehicular ad hoc networks (VANETs). Key issues in VANETs are high mobility, restriction of road setup, frequent topology variations, failed network links, and timely communication of data, which make the routing of packets to a particular destination problematic. To address these issues, a new dependable routing algorithm is proposed, which utilizes a wireless communication system between vehicles in urban vehicular networks. This routing is position-based, known as the maximum distance on-demand routing algorithm (MDORA). It aims to find an optimal route on a hop-by-hop basis based on the maximum distance toward the destination from the sender and sufficient communication lifetime, which guarantee the completion of the data transmission process. Moreover, communication overhead is minimized by finding the next hop and forwarding the packet directly to it without the need to discover the whole route first. A comparison is performed between MDORA and ad hoc on-demand distance vector (AODV) protocol in terms of throughput, packet delivery ratio, delay, and communication overhead. The outcome of the proposed algorithm is better than that of AODV