Aboveground-belowground linkages and carbon allocation in pasture grasses during climate extremes

Predicted increases in climate extremes, such as an increase in the intensity and frequency of drought events and heatwaves, are expected to affect ecosystem functions and services. Pastures and rangelands are particularly sensitive to these changes in climate, with negative consequences for livestock production and associated food security. Knowledge of grass species’ responses to climate extremes in terms of their carbon allocation and trait plasticity associated with resource acquisition can inform management decisions for sustainable pasture production in the face of ongoing and projected changes in a global climate. For this, I employed field and growth chamber manipulation experiments and examined the partitioning of primary production to respiration and growth, as well as biomass allocation and root trait plasticity, in response to predicted changes in rainfall patterns (60% reduction in winter and spring rainfall) and atmospheric warming (ambient +3 ℃). I specifically tested the following overarching questions in this thesis: i) Are there differences in the root economic spectrum and resistance and resilience strategies between C3 and C4 pasture grasses in response to drought?; ii) Do belowground responses in a common pasture grass facilitate aboveground production during heat and drought?; iii) Does partitioning of primary products of photosynthesis between growth and respiration explain pasture production during heat and drought, and how does clipping influence these relationships? Overall, my research provides insight into several resource allocation and carbon uptake mechanisms behind pasture grasses’ responses to drought and warming, both above and belowground. In addition, this work highlights adaptation strategies of pasture species to maintain aboveground production both during exposure to climate stress and for post-stress recovery. In conclusion, this study, in line with ecosystem model projections, demonstrates the heat and drought sensitivity of pasture production and associated implications of declining pasture productivity for the meat, livestock and dairy industries in a future warmer and drier climate. However, findings from my study can also help inform a framework for selecting pasture species and cultivars with traits favoring climate resistance and resilience that will support sustained pasture production under future climates

Flux Balance Analysis Based Model for the Identification of Potent Drug Target: A Novel Strategy

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Study of Early Age Properties and Behaviour of Concrete with GGBS as Partial Replacement of Cement

Ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS) is used as alternative binder material for cement in the concrete. The use of GGBS in concrete production contributes to the savings of natural resources and energy spent in cement manufacturing process and also to reduce CO2 emissions and environmental impact. In this research, GGBS is used as binder material for Ordinary Portland Cement in concrete by replacing cement up to 45% by weight of cementitious material. This investigation is carried out to study the fresh properties, early age strength properties and mechanical properties such as compressive strength of concrete specimen by partial replacement of cement with GGBS up to 45% and compared with referral mix. A total of four concrete mix proportion (NC, Mix 1-15%, Mix 2-30%, Mix 3- 5%) with and without GGBS were made. The compression test were carried out to determine the strength properties of concrete at the age of 3 days, 7days and 28 days. The test result shows that the 28days compressive strength at 15 % GGBS content for M35 and M40 grade of concrete is comparable with referral mix. It is observed that concrete made with GGBS have lower strength at early ages, but gain strength more steadily than equivalent concrete made with Portland cement which is having higher early age strength but does not rise rapidly on the later stages. The M40 grade concrete has better workability when compared with M35 grade concrete

A Survey: Massive MIMO for next Generation Cellular Wireless Technologies

The rapid development of MIMO technology in the area of wireless communications is to setting up of base stations with large number of antennas to improvements in energy and spectral efficiency. In this paper a detailed survey on massive technology, its advantages and comparison with existing method are proposed. The Long Term Evolution (LTE) has been designed to support only packet-switched services and is aimed to provide IP connectivity between UE and eNodeB. As we move forward to5G becoming more promising next generation technology with increase in capacity, reduced latencies, support of very high frequencies (mmWave) with a smaller size single antenna, smaller the aperture for receiving energy. To overcome this small aperture on receiver side at high frequency, we need to use a large number of transmission antenna. This would be the main reason to use the Massive Multiple Input Multiple Outputs (MIMO).This paper focused on the massive MIMO performance, the gain, and return losses of different antennas operating at different frequencies

A comparative study of antinociceptive effect of fluoxetine with pentazocine in rodent model

Background: Chronic pain affects millions of people across the globe, commonly coexisting with depression. Antidepressants like fluoxetine have shown potential to have analgesic activity with superior safety profile and hence might be better suited in the treatment of chronic pain. The objective of this study was to evaluate the antinociceptive activity of fluoxetine and to compare the antinociceptive effect of fluoxetine with pentazocine.Methods: Adult albino rats weighing 150-200 grams were used in this study. Screening method used was Acetic acid induced writhing method in rats. Rats were divided into three groups of 5 animals and drugs administered as follows: group-1:  distilled water (control), group-2:  Fluoxetine, group-3:  Pentazocine. All drugs were administered 30 minutes before the onset of pain stimulus. Statistical analysis was done by using one way-analysis of variance (one way ANOVA) followed by Tukey-Kramer test.Results: Fluoxetine failed to show significant antinociceptive activity in Acetic acid induced writhing method.Conclusions: Fluoxetine is an SSRI and one of the most commonly prescribed drug for depression. It is proven to act at multiple sites like serotonin transporter and opioid µ receptor, both of which may play a role in its analgesic activity

A prospective analysis of the cost-effectiveness of alfuzosin, tamsulosin and silodosin for 12 weeks in benign prostatic hyperplasia

Background: Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is usually seen in men above 45 years. α-blockers (alfuzosin, tamsulosin and silodosin) form the mainstay of pharmacological management of symptomatic BPH and may differ in their efficacy, tolerability and treatment costs. The present study compares them prospectively to evaluate the most cost-effective α-blocker in the management of BPH.Methods: Ninety subjects diagnosed with symptomatic BPH were randomised to receive alfuzosin, tamsulosin or silodosin and were followed up at 2, 4, 8 and 12 weeks after treatment initiation. Effectiveness was assessed by rate of treatment success and number of symptom free days (SFDs). Treatment related direct medical, direct non-medical and indirect costs were analysed both from patient and third-party perspective. Cost-effectiveness was assessed using average cost-effectiveness ratio (ACER) and incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER).Results: With rate of treatment success as the outcome measure, alfuzosin had the least ACER, followed by tamsulosin and silodosin. With number of SFDs as the outcome measure, alfuzosin had the least ACER followed by silodosin and tamsulosin. An additional INR 3982 and INR 30 were required per extra success and extra SFD respectively with alfuzosin when compared to tamsulosin. Alfuzosin dominated silodosin as a more cost-effective option in achieving treatment success. However, an additional INR 231 was required to achieve an extra SFD with silodosin.Conclusions: Compared with tamsulosin and silodosin, alfuzosin seems to be the most economical α-blocker in the management of BPH, both from patient and third-party perspective.Short duration of study of 12 weeks was a limitation in the present prospective study

MEASUREMENT OF WOOD DUST PARTICLE SIZE BY OPTICAL MICROSCOPY TECHNIQUE AND LONG-TERM EFFECT ON SAWMILL WORKERS: A RANDOM STUDY

ABSTRACTObjective: Sawmill workers are exposed to wood dust particles of different sizes, and they cause different respiratory effects depending on the size,physical, and chemical nature of the dust particle and also it is related to the duration of exposure.Introduction: Many studies are done in concern with respiratory effects of wood dust exposure and its toxicity on sawmill workers. Only few studieshave been done regarding measurement of particle size. Hence, this study has been undertaken. To measure the size of wood dust particle of sawmillsto which the workers are exposed to and also to study significance to the duration of exposure to different sizes of wood dust and effect on long-termexposure.Methods: Random samples collected from three different places of different sawmills where there is maximum production and exposure of wooddust. The samples were analyzed and particle was measured using optical microscopy technique. 50 healthy participants from these mills wereassessed for chest expansion in cm and compared against years of wood dust exposure.Results and Conclusion: Overall, it is observed that percentage distribution of size of wood dust particles: 45.9% <0.1 μm, 23.3% 2.5-10,22.3% 0.1-2.5 μm, and 8.5% >10 μm. It may be concluded that occupational hazards are directly proportional to the size of the particle and durationof exposure to wood dust particles. Chest expansion in cm was also found reduced with the increase in the years of exposure to wood dust.Keywords: Sawmill workers, Wood dust, Optical microscopy, Chest expansion

ANTI-INFLAMMATORY ACTIVITY OF CURCUMIN AND CAPSAICIN AUGMENTED IN COMBINATION

Objective: Dietary curcumin and capsaicin are well known for their health beneficial potencies. The current study was done to assess the anti-inflammatory activity of curcumin, capsaicin and their combination by employing in vitro and in vivo models.Methods: We investigated the protective effect of curcumin, capsaicin and their combination using in vitro heat induced human red blood cell (HRBC) membrane stabilisation, in vivo 3% agar induced leukocyte mobilisation and acetic acid induced vascular permeability assay.Results: Curcumin, capsaicin and their combination exhibited concentration dependent protective effect against heat-induced HRBC membrane destabilisation, while combined curcumin and capsaicin restored 87.0±0.64 % membrane stability and it is found to be better than curcumin, capsaicin and diclofenac sodium (75.0±0.25. 72±0.9 and 80.0±0.31 %) protective effect. In agar suspension induced leukocyte mobilization assay, the combined curcumin and capsaicin had shown 39.5±1.58 % of inhibition compared to individual curcumin and capsaicin, which showed moderate inhibition of 16.0±3.14 and 21.6±2.17 % respectively. Besides, the combined curcumin and capsaicin had shown highly significant inhibition of acetic acid-induced vascular permeability in rats (62.0±3.14 %), whereas individual curcumin and capsaicin showed moderate inhibition of vascular permeability with 36.0±2.41 and 43.0±1.92 % respectively.Conclusion: This study demonstrates the significant anti-inflammatory property of combined curcumin and capsaicin at half of the individual concentration of curcumin and capsaicin

A monoclonal antibody that inhibits mycobacterial DNA gyrase by a novel mechanism

DNA gyrase is a DNA topoisomerase indispensable for cellular functions in bacteria. We describe a novel, hitherto unknown, mechanism of specific inhibition of Mycobacterium smegmatis and Mycobacterium tuberculosis DNA gyrase by a monoclonal antibody (mAb). Binding of the mAb did not affect either GyrA–GyrB or gyrase–DNA interactions. More importantly, the ternary complex of gyrase–DNA–mAb retained the ATPase activity of the enzyme and was competent to catalyse DNA cleavage–religation reactions, implying a new mode of action different from other classes of gyrase inhibitors. DNA gyrase purified from fluoroquinolone-resistant strains of M.tuberculosis and M.smegmatis were inhibited by the mAb. The absence of cross-resistance of the drug-resistant enzymes from two different sources to the antibody-mediated inhibition corroborates the new mechanism of inhibition. We suggest that binding of the mAb in the proximity of the primary dimer interface region of GyrA in the heterotetrameric enzyme appears to block the release of the transported segment after strand passage, leading to enzyme inhibition. The specific inhibition of mycobacterial DNA gyrase with the mAb opens up new avenues for designing novel lead molecules for drug discovery and for probing gyrase mechanism