Effect of different potato varieties and tuber sizes on physiological changes under ambient storage performance

The storability and sprouting behavior of three grades (small, medium and large tubers) from four Indian potato cultivars was studied under ambient conditions to assess the quality changes due to physiological losses and sprouting bhaviour of potato tubers. It was found that physiological loss in weight (%), decay loss on number and weight basis (%), sprout loss on number and weight basis (%), total loss (%), general appearance, presence of black or hollow heart were affected significantly by the different varieties as well as by the size. The loss in weight of tubers due to physiological activities, decaying and sprouting increased with the increased in storage period and the loss was more in larger than smaller and medium tubers. Kufri Badshah showed the best control over sprouting, whereas, 100% sprouting was observed in Kufri Bahar with all possible combinations during storage. The maximum value for cumulative physiological loss in weight was observed in variety Kufri Bahar (12.07%), whereas, minimum was in Kufri Pushkar (7.44%). The maximum decay loss was observed in variety Kufri Pushkar (7.89 and 8.72%) and minimum in Kufri Bahar (0.00 and 4.58%) on 80th and 90th day of storage period. Black or hollow heart was absent completely in all the possible treatments. So far general appearance of the tubers was concerned, the larger tubers shrivelled more and earlier than the medium and small sized tubers. Different varieties behaved differently during the entire storage period

Functional microperimetry and SD-OCT confirm consecutive retinal atrophy from optic nerve pit

A congenital anomaly, optic nerve pit is often associated with serous retinal detachment involving macula. Long standing serous detachment leads to outer retinal atrophy and decrease in visual sensitivity. Recently, spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (OCT) has been reported to demonstrate a communication between the optic nerve sheath and the subretinal space. Vitreous cavity is proposed as an alternate source of fluid for accumulation in the subretinal space. We imaged a patient with optic nerve pit with Spectralis OCT and report the findings seen including the presence of an area of peripapapillary retinal atrophy, due to the spontaneous resolution of associated long-standing retinal detachment

Comparative Assessment of Soil Quality at the Defence Establishments

The present study was carried out to adjudge the soil quality of two sites at the defence establishments in India. Various soil samples were collected from the surface and up to 20 cm depth (subsurface) as per apportioned gridding method. These samples were subjected to air drying for 15 days and were characterised for various parameters. The soil is clayey and loamy with granular blocky structure on both the sites.  The pH ranged from 7.1 to 7.72 0.1 for site I and from 5.5 to 8.0 f 0.1 for site 11; salinity and bulk density ranged from 0.1 per cent to 8 per cent and from 1.2 glcm3 to 1.5 g/cm3, respectively and soil moisture was about 0.4 f 1 per cent for both the sites. Similarly, total Kjeldahl nitrogen ranged from 1100 mg kg-' to 1900 mg kg-' for site I and 1700 mg kg-' to 9000 mg kg ' for site I1 and total organic carbon ranged from 18 mg g-' to 75 mg g ' for both the sites. A good correlation between nitrate concentration and various explosive process activities has been observed which gives substantial evidence in terms of contamination of the soil. High performance liquid chromatography analysis, which shows varied concentrations of RDX-HMX, NB, DNB, DNT, and TNT in the respective ranges 0.003-2.300 rng g-1, 0.002-0.350 mg g~1, 0.002-0.550 mg g-1, 0.004-0.041 mg g-1 and 0.010- 0.050 mg g-1 for site 1 and 0.002 - 0.013 mg g-1, 0.005 - 0.350 mg g-1, 0.003 - 0.080 mg g-1, 0.001- 0.100 mg g-1, 0.0001- 0.044 mg g ~a1n d 6*10-6- 0.080 mg g-1 for sites I1 has also indicated the contamination of soil by nitro-organics. These results serve as a valuable database for an ongoing project on the development of phytoremediation technology to detoxify such sites

InAs-AlSb quantum wells in tilted magnetic fields

InAs-AlSb quantum wells are investigated by transport experiments in magnetic fields tilted with respect to the sample normal. Using the coincidence method we find for magnetic fields up to 28 T that the spin splitting can be as large as 5 times the Landau splitting. We find a value of the g-factor of about 13. For small even-integer filling factors the corresponding minima in the Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations cannot be tuned into maxima for arbitrary tilt angles. This indicates the anti-crossing of neighboring Landau and spin levels. Furthermore we find for particular tilt angles a crossover from even-integer dominated Shubnikov-de Haas minima to odd-integer minima as a function of magnetic field

Impact of paddy straw mulch on germination and growth of celery (Apium graveolens L.) seedlings and associated weeds in nursery

A study was undertaken during three consecutive rabi seasons of 2014–15 to 2016–17 at the Research Farm, Department of Agronomy, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana (Punjab) to determine the effect of paddy straw mulch load and retention time on the germination and growth of celery and associated weeds. The experiment was conducted in randomized complete block design (RCBD) with nine treatments viz., paddy straw mulch @ 4 and 6 t ha-1 with retention time of 15, 20, 25 days after sowing (DAS), full time retention (60 DAS), and control (without mulch). The results indicated that application of paddy straw mulch @ 4 or 6 t ha-1 significantly improved the germination of celery in nursery as compared to no mulch treatment but retention of paddy straw mulch beyond 20 days after sowing suppressed the celery seedlings adversely resulting in lowering seedling population as well as fresh and dry weight of celery seedlings. Application of paddy straw mulch @ 4 or 6 t ha-1 resulted in significantly lower density and dry weight of weeds as compared to control. Further, each successive increase in retention time of paddy straw mulch from 15 DAS to full time retention (60 DAS) through 20 and 25 DAS significantly reduced the weed population in celery nursery

The Genome Sequence of the Fungal Pathogen Fusarium virguliforme That Causes Sudden Death Syndrome in Soybean

Fusarium virguliforme causes sudden death syndrome (SDS) of soybean, a disease of serious concern throughout most of the soybean producing regions of the world. Despite the global importance, little is known about the pathogenesis mechanisms of F. virguliforme. Thus, we applied Next-Generation DNA Sequencing to reveal the draft F. virguliforme genome sequence and identified putative pathogenicity genes to facilitate discovering the mechanisms used by the pathogen to cause this disease

Effects of Indocyanine green on cultured retinal ganglion cells in-vitro

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Indocyanine green (ICG) dye is commonly used to stain the inner limiting membrane during macular surgery. There are reports documenting the toxicity of ICG on retinal pigment epithelial cells, with conflicting results in retinal ganglion cells. In the present study, we evaluated the effect of ICG on retinal ganglion cells in vitro.</p> <p>Cultured rat retinal ganglion cells (RGC-5) were exposed to different concentrations of ICG (0.25, 0.5, 1.0, 1.25, & 5 mg/ml) and at various time intervals (1, 5, 15, 30, & 60 minutes). Changes in structural morphology were identified using phase contrast bright field microscopy. Cell viability was quantified using the neutral red assay and cell death was characterized using Annexin-V staining.</p> <p>Findings</p> <p>Significant morphologic changes were observed at the 15 and 60 min intervals for all concentrations, where a reduction in cell size and loss of normal spindle shape was noted. A dose dependent decrease in cell viability was observed with increasing concentration of ICG as well as increasing exposure intervals. Compared to control, 48-74% reduction in neutral red uptake at all concentrations for exposures 5 min or greater (p < 0.001). Even at 1 min exposure, a dose dependent decline was observed in cell viability, with a 28-48% decline for doses above 1.25 mg/ml (p = 0.007). Staining with Annexin-V, demonstrated a similar dose and time dependent increase in number of cells exhibiting early apoptosis. A greater than two-fold increase in Annexin-V expression for all doses at exposures greater than 1 min was noted.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>ICG dye exhibits toxicity to retinal ganglion cells at clinically relevant doses following 1 min exposure.</p