Rainfall interception and nutrient flux in rubber plantation

Matured rubber plantation partitioned 80.5, 8.5 and 11 per cent of total rainfall as through fall, stem flow and interception, respectively. Interception and trunk storage capacity of rubber was 0.8 and 1.0 mm, respectively. Maximum litter interception was 0.9 mm and annual litter interception estimated as 15.0 mm. Acidity of rainwater reduced after passing through rubber foliage, whereas, that of stem flow did not, indicating the role of foliage in reducing the acidity. Gross nutrient addition through rainfall was 45.2, 13.2, 23.8, 4.7, 0.6, 0.5 and 0.6 kg N, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Cu and Zn/ha, respectively, Similarly rubber canopy also enriched nutrients except N. Nutrient leachability from rubber canopy was in the order of Ca>K>Cu>Mg>Fe. Throughfall N content was lower than rainwater indicating absorption by foliage. Nutrient addition through rainfall process was to the extent of 30-50 per cent of that supplied through leaf litter, indicating the importance of rainfall process in cycling of nutrient in ecosystem

Design of Hybrid Intelligent Power System Stabilizer for a Multi-Machine System

In this project a coordinated design of Fuzzy Power System Stabilizer (FPSS) and TCSC based power oscillation damping (POD) controller to improve power system small-signal stability need to be designed. Two controllers are used for optimizing the system for a better result. Conventional power system stabilizer is replaced by a Fuzzy PSS and the Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithm tries to minimize an eigenvalue-based multi-objective function by optimizing the parameters of the POD controller. Time domain simulations in MATLAB/SIMULINK performed on a two area four machine (2A4M) power system reveals that superior enhancement in damping of oscillations is achieved by employing coordinated control of FPSS-POD controller in comparison with conventional PSS-POD controller

Polypropylene woven fabric: A good mulch material for young rubber plants

In young rubber   plantations, dry leaf, coco tree mat, polypropylene woven fabric and coir   pith were evaluated as agricultural mulch materials for their influence on   soil moisture conservation, weed control, soil temperature and microflora,   plant growth and durability in two field experiments. The experiments were   conducted in a drought susceptible clone (RRII 105) and a comparatively   drought tolerant clone (RRII 430) at Chimoni Estate, Thrissur district, a   drought-prone area in Kerala. The effects of different treatments were   similar in both the experiments irrespective of clones. Though dry leaf and   coir pith were effective in soil moisture conservation, they remained in the   field for one season only and failed to control weeds during rainy season.   Coco tree mat conserved moisture and also smothered weeds in plant basins. However,   it remained in the field for almost one year only before it was completely   decomposed. Polypropylene woven fabric improved soil moisture retention, as   well as suppressed weed growth and was found durable. Though mulching reduced   the adverse effects of summer, significant impact on soil microflora and   plant growth was not manifested. Polypropylene woven fabric appears to be a   good alternative mulch material for Hevea

Assessment of nitrogen utilization from urea applied in rubber seedling nursery using 15N tracer technique

Nitrogen uptake from urea applied to rubber seedlings in the nursery was evaluated using 15N tracer methodology, in micro-plots established in the field. Effect of varying rates of N on growth, and the relative contribution of soil N and fertilizer N towards total N uptake were studied. Influence of rate of N application on growth of seedlings was observed up to three months, and after six months, growth of plants was comparable for all the four N levels. The efficiency of N absorption by the plant, expressed as percentage N utilization ranged from 13.62 per cent at 125 kg N ha-1 to 5.84 per cent at 500 kg N ha-1. The 15N balance sheet averaged over the four levels of N shows that about 9.27 per cent of applied N was taken up by rubber seedlings, about 8.78 per cent remained in 0-60 cm depth of soil and about 81.95 per cent was unaccounted N

Curcumin modulates dopaminergic receptor, CREB and phospholipase c gene expression in the cerebral cortex and cerebellum of streptozotocin induced diabetic rats

Curcumin, an active principle component in rhizome of Curcuma longa, has proved its merit for diabetes through its anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory properties. This study aims at evaluating the effect of curcumin in modulating the altered dopaminergic receptors, CREB and phospholipase C in the cerebral cortex and cerebellum of STZ induced diabetic rats. Radioreceptor binding assays and gene expression was done in the cerebral cortex and cerebellum of male Wistar rats using specific ligands and probes. Total dopaminergic receptor binding parameter, Bmax showed an increase in cerebral cortex and decrease in the cerebellum of diabetic rats. Gene expression studies using real time PCR showed an increased expression of dopamine D1 and D2 receptor in the cerebral cortex of diabetic rats. In cerebellum dopamine D1 receptor was down regulated and D2 receptor showed an up regulation. Transcription factor CREB and phospholipase C showed a significant down regulation in cerebral cortex and cerebellum of diabetic rats. We report that curcumin supplementation reduces diabetes induced alteration of dopamine D1, D2 receptors, transcription factor CREB and phospholipase C to near control. Our results indicate that curcumin has a potential to regulate diabetes induced malfunctions of dopaminergic signalling, CREB and Phospholipase C expression in cerebral cortex and cerebellum and thereby improving the cognitive and emotional functions associated with these regions. Furthermore, in line with these studies an interaction between curcumin and dopaminergic receptors, CREB and phospholipase C is suggested, which attenuates the cortical and cerebellar dysfunction in diabetes. These results suggest that curcumin holds promise as an agent to prevent or treat CNS complications in diabetes

A para-virtualization technique to improve the performance of cross-platform emulation

A cross platform system emulator is a hyper-visor which can emulate a source ISA (Instruction Set Architecture) platform on a different target ISA platform. Since the source instruction cannot be executed directly on the target system, each CPU instruction of the source platform should be converted to one or more target instructions. This incurs additional overhead, thus reducing the overall performance. In this paper we propose a solution to improve the performance of cross platform emulators that use a binary translator to translate a guest ISA to a target ISA. The solution para-virtualizes hot guest functions by invoking a more efficient host native code instead of translated guest code

MICROWAVE ASSISTED GREEN SYNTHESIS OF SILVER NANOPARTICLES USING COLEUS AMBOINICUS LEAF EXTRACT

Objective: Current study is aimed at the formulation of silver nanoparticles loaded with the extract of Coleus amboinicus leaf extract by microwave irradiation. A facile and green synthesis of silver nanoparticles by using a biological agent such as plant extracts with the aid of microwave irradiation is proposed as an economical and environmentally friendly approach alternative to chemical and physical methods. Methods: In order to fabricate silver nanoparticles by microwave irradiation, aqueous extract of leaves Coleus amboinicus (CA) were treated with aqueous silver nitrate solution and mixture was placed in the microwave oven for exposure to microwave. Optimizations of the process were carried out by varying the quantity of extract, silver nitrate concentration and duration of microwave irradiation. Formations of nanoparticles were confirmed by UV-visible spectroscopy observing for the presence of surface plasmon resonance (SPR) peak. Nanoparticles were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Results: Silver nanoparticle showed the SPR optical absorption band peak at 434 nm by UV-Visible spectrophotometer. Reaction mixture containing 2 mmol silver nitrate and 9 ml of extract subjected to microwave irradiation of 60 sec at a temperature of 60 °C was found to be optimised condition, which produced nanoparticles that were spherical in shape and had an average diameter of 15.685 nm. Conclusion: This research study opens an innovative design to progress our understanding of how silver nanoparticles behave can be optimized to improve their surface morphology, which is beneficial to improve its therapeutic effect

Recurrence of borderline ovarian tumors: a survival analysis

Background: Borderline ovarian tumors are non-invasive tumors that display greater epithelial proliferation and cytological atypia than benign tumors, but less than carcinomas. They may be treated conservatively in young women, however there is a concern for recurrence and progression to frank malignancy. We aimed to study the clinicopathological features of borderline ovarian tumors and their risk of recurrence.Methods: We reviewed the electronic and paper charts of all borderline ovarian tumors operated between January 1, 2001 and December 31, 2019 at a tertiary level teaching hospital in India. Descriptive statistics such as proportions and means were used. A survival analysis was done for recurrence and death.Results: A total of 93 borderline ovarian tumor patients were identified. The most common histology in our study was mucinous 60 (63%) followed by serous 28 (29%). Ninety two (99%) of them were stage I at diagnosis. Microinvasion was present in 27 (26%) of the cases. Out of the 30 fertility sparing operations performed (unilateral salpingo-oophorectomy/cytectomy), 4 (13%) had recurrences and progressed to malignancy. The overall malignancy rate was 4%. There was one mortality secondary to septic shock.Conclusions: Borderline ovarian tumors account for 10-20% of ovarian epithelial tumors and have extremely good prognosis affecting majorly the reproductive aged women. The low recurrence rate and good five year survival rate, at all the stages of the disease enables to incorporate fertility sparing surgeries as part of the staging

Bone Mineral Density Changes in Patients with Recent-Onset Rheumatoid Arthritis

Background Osteoporosis and related fragility fractures are one of the most common complications seen in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and dramatically affect quality of life. Objective To evaluate changes in bone mineral density in patients with recent onset rheumatoid arthritis (< 1 year) and its correlation if any with a modified DAS-28 score and simple erosion narrowing score (SENS). Methods This study included 30 patients with recent-onset rheumatoid arthritis fulfilling the new American College of Rheumatology/European League Against Rheumatism diagnostic criteria for rheumatoid arthritis and 20 healthy volunteers as controls. All were subjected to a complete blood count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein, liver function tests, renal function tests, rheumatoid factor, and plain x-rays of the hands and feet. Dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry DEXA was used to measure bone mineral density (BMD) of the left proximal femur, lumbar spine (L1–L4), and lower distal radius at the time of recruitment. Results In the RA patients, 13.3% had osteoporosis, 50% had osteopenia, and 36.7% had normal BMD. The most common site of osteoporosis was the lumbar spine (four patients, 13.3%) followed by the femur (two patients, 6.6%), and forearm (only one patient, 3.3%). There was a significantly higher percentage of osteoporosis among RA males than females and the difference was statistically significant ( P = 0.009). Osteoporosis was more common in patients treated with corticosteroids and disease modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) than in patients treated with only nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs ( P = 0.004). Higher disease activity (DAS-28) was found in RA patients with osteoporosis compared to RA patients with normal BMD or osteopenia, but the difference was not statistically significant. Osteoporotic RA patients were found to have a higher SENS score for radiological damage than nonosteoporotic ones. Conclusion BMD changes do occur in patients with early RA, and are not necessarily correlated with disease activity (DAS-28). However, a significant negative correlation was found between BMD and the score of radiological damage (SENS). Dual energy x-ray absorptiometry is an important investigation to assess BMD in early RA patients

A Review of Eviction Protections in Dallas, Texas

The Institute for Urban Policy Research partnered with the Texas Tenants Union to better understand the impact of eviction remediation programs on the plight of tenants in the City of Dallas. In Dallas, roughly three of every five households rent their home; programs aimed at preventing eviction are pertinent to most of Dallas's population (U. S. Census Bureau, 2020). Financial impacts of the Coronavirus pandemic threatened many households in Dallas and the early days of the pandemic saw multiple policy and procedure interventions, including court closures and the CARES Act. Dallas City Council was among the first localities to act, pass an eviction ordinance to protect renters from losing their homes.In this study, we pursue a mixed-methods approach, embracing both qualitative and quantitative research tools. Working with Dallas County, whose Justice of the Peace courts are the courts of original jurisdictions for evictions in Texas, we secured case filing data for January through June of 2019 and 2020. This data was used to perform a series of regression analyses comparing the volume of evictions in Dallas and surrounding cities. Next, we randomly sampled cases filed in one Dallas County Justice of the Peace court, including portions of Dallas and surrounding communities. We conducted a systematic record review of the entire case file for each of the randomly sampled cases. Finally, we engaged a purposive sample of local government and non-profit leaders, as well as affected tenants, in a focus group setting to understand their experiences with eviction in Dallas.While the quantitative results do suggest some impact of these policy responses, the findings are not encouraging. First, the milieu of policies enacted offered no universal protection to any broad segment of renting households. Second, many of those protected by these policies did not know their status, and efforts to educate them were not universally deployed. Finally, even when protected tenants were aware of their protection, their attempts to assert their rights were met by a system often confused on how to respect them