Infrared imaging enhances retinal crystals in Bietti’s crystalline dystrophy

Infrared imaging dramatically increased the number of crystalline deposits visualized compared with clinical examination, standard color fundus photography, and red free imaging in patients with Bietti’s crystalline dystrophy. We believe that this imaging modality significantly improves the sensitivity with which these lesions are detected, facilitating earlier diagnosis and may potentially serve as a prognostic indicator when examined over time

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

Dynamics of anthocyanin and flavonol profiles in the 'Crimson Seedless' grape berry skin during development and ripening

'Crimson Seedless' grapes (Vitis vinifera L.) do not develop adequate berry colour in different parts of theworld including Australia and USA leading to serious economic losses to the growers. In the present study, various anthocyanins and flavonols were identified in the skin of the 'Crimson Seedless' grapeberries using LC/PDA/ESI-MS and their changes in the berry skin during development and ripening of 'Crimson Seedless' grape berries were investigated during 2005-2006 and 2006-2007. Eleven anthocyanins and two flavonols were identified in the berry skin using LC/PDA/ESI-MS. Of the anthocyanins identified, four anthocyanins including cyanidin 3-O-(600-O-acetyl)-glucoside, peonidin 3-O-(600-O-acetyl)-glucoside, malvidin 3-O-(600-O-acetyl)-glucoside and malvidin 3-O-(600-O-coumaroyl)-glucoside were not reported earlier. During both the years, the concentration of the 3-O-glucosides of delphinidin, petunidin, peonidin, and malvidin as well as the acetyl and coumaroyl esters of the 3-Oglucosides of cyanidin, peonidin, and malvidin in the berry skin increased during berry development and ripening.During 2006-2007, the concentration of cyanidin 3-O-glucoside in the berry skin increased during the early stages of berry ripening and subsequently declined till harvest while in 2005-2006, the concentration increased during the initial phase of berry ripening and remained relatively stable thereafter till harvest. The concentration of total anthocyanins in the berry skin was higher during 2006-2007 as compared to 2005-2006. During both years, the concentration of quercetin 3-O-glucoside in the berry skin increased during berry development and ripening while the concentration of quercetin 3-Oglucuronide in the berry skin decreased during the same period. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the evolution of different anthocyanins and flavonols in the 'Crimson Seedless' berry skin during berry development and ripening

Density-Functional Theory of Graphene Sheets

We outline a Kohn-Sham-Dirac density-functional-theory (DFT) scheme for graphene sheets that treats slowly-varying inhomogeneous external potentials and electron-electron interactions on an equal footing. The theory is able to account for the the unusual property that the exchange-correlation contribution to chemical potential increases with carrier density in graphene. Consequences of this property, and advantages and disadvantages of using the DFT approach to describe it, are discussed. The approach is illustrated by solving the Kohn-Sham-Dirac equations self-consistently for a model random potential describing charged point-like impurities located close to the graphene plane. The influence of electron-electron interactions on these non-linear screening calculations is discussed at length, in the light of recent experiments reporting evidence for the presence of electron-hole puddles in nearly-neutral graphene sheets.Comment: 11 pages, 9 figures, submitted. High-quality figures can be requested to the author

Spontaneous expulsion of a large infarcted endometrial polyp

A 30-year-female presented to gynaecology OPD with history of polymenorrhea for two months.  Cervical scrape smear was negative for intraepithelial lesion/malignancy. The importance of sending the tissue for histopathological examination cannot be undermined considering the fact that the differential diagnosis includes malignancy

Assessment of genomic relationship between Oryza sativa and Oryza australinesis

The genomic relationship between Oryza sativa (2n = 24 AA) and Oryza australinesis (2n = 24 EE) has not been established. Genomic relationship between these two species was assessed by using three strategies: genomic in situ hybridization (GISH), meiotic chromosome pairing, pollen and spikelet sterility. The hybrid was produced between these two species at the International Rice Research Institute using embryo rescue technique. The chromosome pairing was examined in pollen mother cellsof O. australinesis, O. sativa and the hybrid between O. sativa and O. australinesis. The hybrid was highly sterile with pollen stain ability being 0.05%. Both parents showed regular meiosis with normal chromosome pairing. The F1 hybrid exhibited limited chromosome pairing. On an average, 0 - 4 bivalents and 16 - 24 univalents were recorded at metaphase-1. The most frequent configuration was two bivalent and twenty univalent. The chromosomes of O. australiensis appeared larger and darkly stained. For genomic in situ hybridization, genomic DNA from O. australiensis was used as probe for the mitotic and meiotic chromosomes of the hybrid between O. sativa and O. australiensis. GISH revealed unequivocal discrimination of O. australiensis chromosomes that appeared yellow due to hybridization signal from O. sativa chromosomes that fluoresced red due to counterstaining with propidium iodide (PI). No cross hybridization was examined between the labeled genomic DNA of O.australiensis and the chromosomes of O. sativa. The paired chromosomes were discriminated as autosyndetic and allosyndetic pairing. Meiotic and mitotic chromosomes of the O. australiensis and O. sativa, in the hybrid were discriminated by GISH for the first time. Results showed that both genomes were highly divergent

Prevalence and factors predictive of intraocular fungal infection in patients with fungemia at an academic urban tertiary care center

Objective To report the prevalence and to identify factors predictive of intraocular infection in patients with fungemia receiving prophylactic antifungal therapy. Methods A retrospective review of patients who received prophylactic antifungal therapy and a dilated fundus examination at an academic urban tertiary care center from 2000 to 2007. Basic demographic information, fungal species grown, antifungal agent(s) used, number of positive blood culture specimens, visual acuity, visual symptoms, and known risks of disseminated candidiasis were noted. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine the factors significantly associated with intraocular fungal infection. Results A total of 132 patients with positive fungemia culture were requested to have ophthalmology consults. The prevalence of ocular infection was 6.9% (N=9). All nine patients were infected with Candida species. Undergoing gastrointestinal (GI) surgery within the prior 6 months was significantly related to developing intraocular infection, with an odds ratio of 18.5 (95% confidence interval, 15.1–24.3; P=0.002). Having ≥3 positive fungal blood cultures was also a significant risk factor, with an odds ratio of 2.6 (95% confidence interval, 1.8–3.7; P=0.03). Among 40 patients having GI surgery, eight (20.0%) had intraocular fungal disease, compared with one of 92 patients (1.1%) not having GI surgery. Among 125 patients with a negative baseline examination result, two of 32 patients (6.3%), who had recent GI surgery, subsequently developed fungal ocular disease, compared with 0 of 93 patients (0%), who did not have recent GI surgery. Conclusion Recent GI surgery and higher numbers of positive fungal blood culture specimens may be predictive ofcandida ocular infections. Normal baseline fundoscopy examination results in patients with such risks may require repeat evaluations to detect delayed manifestations

Influence of Nitrogen and Phosphorus Fertilization on Fruiting and Yield Characteristics in Ratoon Crop of Banana (Musa spp. AAA) Cv. Grande Naine

In ratoon crop of banana cv. Grande Naine, date of shooting could be advanced by 35 days with application of 200g N in 5 splits + 60g P2O5 (86 days), compared to 300g N in 5 splits + 60g P2O5 (121 days). Subsequently, date of harvest also got advanced by 53 days, and fruits were harvested on 9th December in the same treatment. Higher dose of N fertilization delayed shooting and harvesting period, taking 121 days for shooting and 145 days from shooting to harvest in the treatment 300g N (5 split doses) + 90g P2O5. Various N and P treatments affected bunch weight and number of hands per bunch significantly. Although N and P combination-treatments had no significant effect on bunch weight or number of hands per bunch, application of 200g N in 5 splits and 60g P2O5 per plant gave maximum bunch weight (18.11kg) and number of hands per bunch (10.61). Minimum bunch weight (15.37kg) and the least number of hands per bunch (7.08) were obtained with 150g N in 5 splits + 90g P2O5. Hand-weight (2.20kg), number of fingers per hand (19.75), and finger length (20.30cm) was highest with application of 200g N in 5 splits + 60g P2O5 per plant. Least hand-weight (1.64kg), number of fingers per hand (15.77), and finger-length (17.92cm) was recorded with 150g N in 5 splits + 90g P2O5. Bunch weight, number of hands per bunch, hand-weight and number of fingers per hand too was affected significantly with sole application of nitrogen or phosphorus

Effect of Spacing on Canopy Microclimate, Vegetative Growth and Yield Attributes in Guava (Psidium guajava L.)

The present investigation was conducted to examine the effect of spacing on variation in canopy microclimate, vegetative growth and yield attributes in guava (cv. Allahabad Safeda). Oservations revealed that with wide plant spacing (from 6x2m to 6x4m), interception of solar radiation increased significantly. Similarly, with increase in spacing between plants, mean canopy temperature was need to increase while relative humidity decreased. Plant growth in terms of stock and scion girth, tree spread (N-S) and canopy volume increased with wide plant spacing, while tree height decreased with increase in plant spacing. Number of fruits per plant, yield per plant and fruiting density was higher at 6x5m and least in 6x2m spacing. Wider plant spacing was found to be better owing to maximum absorption of solar radiation and optimum microclimate in the orchard leading to better yield in plants, higher fruiting density and yield efficiency. However, yield/ha was maximum in 6x2m spacing during rainy season and in 6x3m spacing during winter