Behaviour of Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) Corms for Daughter Corm Production

Behaviour of saffron corms for daughter corm production has a paramount importance for commercial scale corm production under efficient nursery management system. Saffron corms weighing 1g to 16 g were planted in nylon nets, replicated twice for daughter corm production under annual planting cycle. Five corms were planted under each category supplemented with adequate nutrients. Maximum daughter corm production was observed in corms weighing above 15g, followed by corms weighing from 14g-10g. No substantial increase in number and weight of corms have been observed for corms weighing between 1g to 4g. However, under 5-7g category there was substantial increase in number of corms associated with bigger size daughter corms. Average diameter of daughter corms ranged from 18.48mm (8g) to 8.80 mm (1g). Maximum number of daughter corms/mother corm (3.3) were observed in bigger corms weighing 15 g and least number of daughter corms (0.6) were observed in 2 g category. Study reveals that initial corm weight has paramount effect on daughter corm production

Antiviral activity of organic molecules having sulfonamide moiety: An insight of recent research

Sulfonamide derivatives are well known for their antibacterial activity as manifested by ‘Sulfa Drugs’, for example, sulfamethoxazole etc. In addition, they are associated with a large number of pharmacological activities such as anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, anti-oxidant, anti-viral etc. This work has emphasized their application as antiviral agents such as HIV (human immunodeficiency virus), HCV (hepatitis C virus) etc. We have presented here a number of sulfonamide derivatives exhibiting remarkable antiviral potential

Genetic diversity of Saccharum officinarum accessions in Pakistan as revealed by random amplified polymorphic DNA

ABSTRACT. Genetic diversity of 20 sugarcane accessions in Pakistan was studied using 21 random amplified polymorphic DNA markers. The mean genetic distance between the cultivars was 39.03%, demon-strating that a large part of the genome is similar among the accessions. This probably arises from a lack of parental diversity, with few clones, which are themselves related, contributing to the parentage of these varieties. Among the varieties, none was found to be totally distinct and divergent from the others. We conclude that the current Pakistan com-mercial varieties have a limited genetic base and that there is a need to diversify commercial sugarcane lines in Pakistan by introducing new germplasm sources

Mortality in Sepsis and its relationship with Gender.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Sepsis remains a leading cause of death across the world, carrying a mortality rate of 20-50%. Women have been reported to be less likely to suffer from sepsis and to have a lower risk of mortality from sepsis compared to men. The objective of this study was to determine the relationship between gender and mortality in sepsis, and compare cytokine profiles of male and female patients. METHODS: This was a prospective case series on 97 patients admitted with sepsis. Clinical and microbiological data was gathered, blood samples were collected for cytokine (IL-10, IL-6 and TNFα) levels and patients were followed up for clinical outcome. RESULTS: There were 54% males and 46% females, with no significant difference of age or comorbids between genders. Respiratory tract infection was the commonest source of sepsis, and was more common in females (60%) compared to males (39%) (p=0.034). Males had a higher mortality (p=0.048, RR 1.73) and plasma IL-6 level(p=0.040) compared to females. Mean IL-6 plasma level was significantly (p\u3c0.01) higher in patients who died vs. who recovered. CONCLUSION: Our study shows that males with sepsis have a 70% greater mortality rate, and mortality is associated with a higher IL-6 plasma level

Productivity and economic evaluation of Willow (Salix alba L.) based silvopastoral agroforestry system in Kashmir valley

Performance of two fodder crops namely, sorghum (Sorghum vulgare L.) and maize (Zea mays L.) was investigated with Willow (Salix alba L.) to evaluate productivity and economics of the silvopastoral agroforestry system in Kashmir valley. The experiment was laid out by planting two year old willows at 2.0m × 2.0m spacing and dividing the main plot into sub-plots of size 8m × 2m each with 5 replications in randomized block design (RDB). The intercrops of sorghum and maize were maintained at 20cm × 10 cm spacing and supplied with recommended doses of fertilizers. The economics of the willow plantation intercropped with fodder crops was compared with sole willow farming by the benefit-cost ratio and net present worth. The study revealed the differential behaviour of Salix alba regarding growth parameters (height, diameter and girth) by different intercrops and various fodder intercrops with respect to yield, above ground biomass, dry matter production and soil nutrient status (pH, organic carbon, available nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium). The willow based silvopastoral system was estimated to have benefit-cost ratio of 2.71 with maize and 2.68 with sorghum, while as sole crop the willows accrued a benefit-cost ratio of 2.66. The study is useful in discovering growth of willows, productivity of fodder crops and soil nutrient status under various silvopastoral agroforestry systems for maximizing economic gains. The findings envisaged evidences in favour of adopting willow based silvopastoral agroforestry instead of sole tree farming and the knowledge of interactions will be helpful in proper management of the system for sustained multiple productions