Effect of sowing methods, nutrients and seed rate on mungbean (Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek) growth, productivity and water-use efficiency

A experiment comprising of 18 treatments i.e. two sowing methods (flat bed - 30 cm spacing, and raisedbed with two mungbean (Vigna radiata) rows bed–1 on 67.5 cm including 30 cm furrow), three seed rates (10, 15 and 20 kg ha–1 ) and three nutrient treatments (6.25 + 20.0, 9.38 + 30.0 and 12.5 + 40.0 kg N+P2O5 ha–1 ) was conducted at the Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, India during kharif 2007 to 2009. The mungbean grain yield recorded in 2008 was similar in 2009 but higher than 2007. The increase of 3.94% in grain yield was recorded in raised-bed than in flat bed. The grain yield recorded with seed rate of 20 kg ha–1 was higher than with 10 kg ha–1 but similar with 15 kg ha-1 in 2006 and 2008. The grain yield recorded with 12.5 kg N + 40 kg P2O5 ha–1 was higher (p<0.05) than other treatments. Raised-bed planting with 33.3% lesser irrigation water used recorded 3.91% lesser water use than flat bed planting and 9.77% higher water use efficiency (WUE) (p<0.05) as compared to flat bed planting. Seed rate of 20 kg ha–1 recorded 35.9 and 8.9% higher (p<0.05) WUE than with 10 and 15 kg ha-1 . The highest WUE was recorded with 12.5 kg N + 40 kg P2O5 ha–1 which was higher (p<0.05) than 6.25 kg N + 20 kg P2O5 ha–1 but at par with 9.38 kg N + 24 kg P2O5 ha–1

Reproductive outcomes following robotic myomectomy

Background: To assess pregnancy outcomes of patients following robotic myomectomy.Methods: Retrospective chart review was performed of 336 patients following robotic myomectomy at a university hospital from June 2006 to May 2013. Patients were called to obtain delivery outcomes.Results: Three hundred and thirty-six women had the following: mean age of 41.97 +/- 12.3 years (range 24-55), mean BMI of 24.6 +/- 4.96, mean of 3.37 +/- 3.1 fibroids removed (range 1-21), and mean weight of 352.28 +/- 339.56 grams of fibroids removed. Approximately 66.9% (N=250) provided pregnancy outcome data with 119 (47.6%) attempting pregnancy after surgery. Eighty-three (69.7%) achieved a total of 91 pregnancies. Less than half of these patients underwent cesarean section, and no cases of uterine rupture. Eighty-seven patients had known infertility pre-surgery; 22 underwent intrauterine insemination resulting in 12 pregnancies, and 34 underwent in vitro fertilization resulting in 25 pregnancies. A total of 53 (60.9%) of patients with infertility achieved 60 total pregnancies.Conclusions: The fertility rate after robotic myomectomy for patients attempting to conceive (69.7%) and for those with known infertility who continued to attempt pregnancy postoperatively (60.9%) were similar. There was a low incidence of complications associated with pregnancies conceived after robotic myomectomy

Evaluation of Antioxidant, Antidiabetic and Antiobesity Potential of Selected Traditional Medicinal Plants

This study evaluated potential antidiabetic and antiobesity properties in vitro of selected medicinal plants. The hot water (WE) and ethanol extracts (EE) of sweet gale (Myrica gale L.), roseroot (Rhodiola rosea L.), sheep sorrel (Rumex acetosa L.), stinging nettles (Utrica dioica L.) and dandelion (Taraxacum officinale L.) were tested for total antioxidant capacity using ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and DPPH• scavenging capacity assays, followed by α-amylase, α-glucosidase and formation of advanced glycation end products (AGE) inhibition assays in vitro. Myrica gale EE had the highest total phenolic content (12.4 mmol GAE/L), FRAP value (17.4 mmol TE/L) and DPPH• scavenging activity (IC50 = 3.28 mg/L). Similarly, Myrica gale also exhibited significantly lower IC50 values for the percentage inhibition of α-amylase (IC50 = 62.65 mg/L) and α-glucosidase (IC50 = 27.20 mg/L) compared to acarbose (IC50 = 91.71 mg/L; IC50 = 89.50 mg/L, respectively) (p ≤ 0.05). The 3T3-L1 preadipocyte study also revealed that Myrica gale EE (54.8%) and stinging nettles (62.2% EE; 63.2% WE) significantly inhibited the adipogenesis in adipocytes in vitro (p ≤ 0.05). Polyphenols present in these medicinal plants have the potential to use in managing type 2 diabetes and obesity

Negligible influence of moderate to severe hyperthermia on blood-brain barrier permeability and neuronal-parenchymal integrity in healthy men

With growing use for hyperthermia as a cardiovascular therapeutic, there is surprisingly little information regarding the acute effects it may have on the integrity of the neurovascular unit (NVU). Indeed, relying on animal data would suggest hyperthermia comparable to levels attained in thermal therapy will disrupt the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and damage the cerebral parenchymal cells. We sought to address the hypothesis that controlled passive hyperthermia is not sufficient to damage the NVU in healthy humans. Young men (n=11) underwent acute passive heating until +2°C or absolute esophageal temperature of 39.5°C. The presence of BBB opening was determined by trans-cerebral exchange kinetics (radial-arterial and jugular venous cannulation) of S100B. Neuronal parenchymal damage was determined by the trans-cerebral exchange of tau protein, neuron specific enolase (NSE) and neurofilament-light protein (NF-L). Cerebral blood flow to calculate exchange kinetics was measured by duplex ultrasound of the right internal carotid and left vertebral artery. Passive heating was performed via warm-water perfused suit. In hyperthermia, there was no increase in the cerebral exchange of S100B (p=0.327), tau protein (p=0.626), NF-L (p=0.0.447) or NSE (p=0.908) suggesting +2°C core temperature is not sufficient to acutely stress the NVU in healthy men. However, there was a significant condition effect (p=0.028) of NSE, corresponding to a significant increase in arterial (p=0.023) but not venous (p=0.173) concentrations in hyperthermia, potentially indicating extra-cerebral release of NSE. Collectively, results from the present study support the notion that in young men there is little concern for NVU damage with acute hyperthermia of +2°C

Sufficient Covariate, Propensity Variable and Doubly Robust Estimation

Statistical causal inference from observational studies often requires adjustment for a possibly multi-dimensional variable, where dimension reduction is crucial. The propensity score, first introduced by Rosenbaum and Rubin, is a popular approach to such reduction. We address causal inference within Dawid's decision-theoretic framework, where it is essential to pay attention to sufficient covariates and their properties. We examine the role of a propensity variable in a normal linear model. We investigate both population-based and sample-based linear regressions, with adjustments for a multivariate covariate and for a propensity variable. In addition, we study the augmented inverse probability weighted estimator, involving a combination of a response model and a propensity model. In a linear regression with homoscedasticity, a propensity variable is proved to provide the same estimated causal effect as multivariate adjustment. An estimated propensity variable may, but need not, yield better precision than the true propensity variable. The augmented inverse probability weighted estimator is doubly robust and can improve precision if the propensity model is correctly specified

Motoric Cognitive Risk Syndrome: Could It Be Defined Through Increased Five-Times-Sit-to-Stand Test Time, Rather Than Slow Walking Speed?

Background: Slow walking speed, time to perform the five-times-sit-to-stand (FTSS) test and motoric cognitive risk syndrome (MCR; defined as slow gait speed combined with subjective cognitive complaint) have been separately used to screen older individuals at risk of cognitive decline. This study seeks to (1) compare the characteristics of older individuals with MCR, as defined through slow walking speed and/or increased FTSS time; and (2) examine the relationship between MCR and its motor components as well as amnestic (a-MCI) and non-amnestic (na-MCI) Mild Cognitive Impairment. Methods: A total of 633, individuals free of dementia, were selected from the cross-sectional "Gait and Alzheimer Interactions Tracking" study. Slow gait speed and increased FTSS time were used as criteria for the definition of MCR. Participants were separated into five groups, according to MCR status: MCR as defined by (1) slow gait speed exclusively (MCRs); (2) increased FTSS time exclusively (MCRf); (3) slow gait speed and increased FTSS time (MCRsaf); (4) MCR; irrespective of the mobility test used (MCRsof); and (5) the absence of MCR. Cognitive status (i.e., a-MCI, na-MCI, cognitively healthy) was also determined. Results: The prevalence of MCRs was higher, when compared to the prevalence of MCRf (12.0% versus 6.2% with P ≤ 0.001). There existed infrequent overlap (2.4%) between individuals exhibiting MCRs and MCRf, and frequent overlap between individuals exhibiting MCRs and na-MCI (up to 50%). a-MCI and na-MCI were negatively [odd ratios (OR) ≤ 0.17 with P ≤ 0.019] and positively (OR ≥ 2.41 with P ≤ 0.019) related to MCRs, respectively. Conclusion: Individuals with MCRf are distinct from those with MCRs. MCRf status does not relate to MCI status in the same way that MCRs does. MCRs is related negatively to a-MCI and positively to na-MCI. These results suggest that FTTS cannot be used to define MCR when the goal is to predict the risk of cognitive decline, such as future dementia

Trust in financial services: Retrospect and prospect

Fostering and maintaining high levels of trust in the financial services sector is seen as crucial because of the characteristics of many financial service and in order to promote consumer engagement in the sector. In this article, we report evidence from a body of work and other commentary to provide an insight into trends in consumer trust in the sector as a whole, in comparison with other organisations and how different types of financial services provider have performed relative to each other. We show that the financial services sector as a whole is trusted more than some comparator institutions, and that aggregate levels of trust in the sector have fluctuated a relatively small amount subsequent to the financial crisis. However, important differences between provider types are apparent and these differences have become more profound in the recent past. We provide suggestions as to how trust in the sector may be improved and provider an analysis of current initiatives to improve trust levels in the sector in general and in banking in particular

Cerebrovascular pressure reactivity and brain tissue oxygen monitoring provide complementary information regarding the lower and upper limits of cerebral blood flow control in traumatic brain injury : a CAnadian High Resolution-TBI (CAHR-TBI) cohort study

Background: Brain tissue oxygen tension (PbtO2) and cerebrovascular pressure reac-tivity monitoring have emerged as potential modalities to individualize care in moder-ate and severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). The relationship between these modalities has had limited exploration. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between PbtO(2) and cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP) and how this relationship is modified by the state of cerebrovascular pressure reactivity.Methods: A retrospective multi-institution cohort study utilizing prospectively collected high-resolution physiologic data from the CAnadian High Resolution-TBI (CAHR-TBI) Research Collaborative database collected between 2011 and 2021 was performed. Included in the study were critically ill TBI patients with intracranial pres-sure (ICP), arterial blood pressure (ABP), and PbtO(2) monitoring treated in any one of three CAHR-TBI affiliated adult intensive care units (ICU). The outcome of interest was how PbtO2 and CPP are related over a cohort of TBI patients and how this relationship is modified by the state of cerebrovascular reactivity, as determined using the pressure reactivity index (PRx).Results: A total of 77 patients met the study inclusion criteria with a total of 377,744 min of physiologic data available for the analysis. PbtO2 produced a triphasic curve when plotted against CPP like previous population-based plots of cerebral blood flow (CBF) versus CPP. The triphasic curve included a plateau region flanked by regions of relative ischemia (hypoxia) and hyperemia (hyperoxia). The plateau region shortened when cerebrovascular pressure reactivity was disrupted compared to when it was intact.Conclusions: In this exploratory analysis of a multi-institution high-resolution physiology TBI database, PbtO(2) seems to have a triphasic relationship with CPP, over the entire cohort. The CPP range over which the plateau exists is modified by the state of cerebrovascular reactivity. This indicates that in critically ill TBI patients admitted to ICU, PbtO2 may be reflective of CBF.Peer reviewe