Effect of municipal solid waste compost and NPK fertilizer on growth, yield and protein content of rice (cv. BRRI dhan49)

An experiment was conducted to study the effect of municipal solid waste compost (MSWC) on growth, yield and protein content as well as to know the effect of combined application of MSWC and NPK fertilizers in rice (cv. BRRI dhan49). There were six treatments including- T0 = Control (No fertilizer or no MSWC); T1= 100% Recommended Doses of Fertilizers (RDF) NPK; T2 = (MSWC @ 5 t ha-1+ 75% RDF); T3= (MSWC @ 7. 5t ha-1+ 50% RDF); T4= (MSWC @ 10 t ha-1 + 25% RDF); T5 = (MSWC @ 10 t ha-1). The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. Our results showed that the integrated application of MSWC and different RDF% had a significant impact on various plant growth and yield parameters including plant height, panicle length, number of effective tillers per hill, number of filled grains per panicle, 1000-grain weight (g), and grain and straw yield of rice. In case of T2 treatment, highest grain yield (5.70 t ha-1), straw yield (7.71 t ha-1) and protein content (5.875%) were obtained. Thus, the result indicated that combined application of MSWC with NPK performed better than the single application of either MSWC or NPK fertilizer

Efficiency of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) for the enhancement of rice growth

Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) are beneficial bacteria that colonize plant roots and enhance plant growth by a wide variety of mechanisms. The use of PGPR is steadily increasing in agriculture and offers an attractive way to replacechemical fertilizers, pesticides, and supplements. Here, we have isolated and characterized the PGPR from the rhizosphere soil of rice field for the enhancement of growth of rice. Rhizosphere soils were collected from different areas of Mymensingh in Bangladesh. Ten isolates of bacteria, designated as PGB1, PGB2, PGB3, PGB4, PGB5, PGT1, PGT2, PGT3, PGG1 and PGG2, were successfully isolated and characterized. Subsequently, to investigate the effects of PGPR isolates on the growth of rice, a pot culture experiment was conducted. Prior to seeds grown in plastic pots, seeds were treated with PGPR isolates and seedlings were harvested after 21 days of inoculation. Isolates PGB4, PGT1, PGT2, PGT3, PGG1 and PGG2 induced the production of indole acetic acid (IAA), whereas only PGT3 isolate was able to solubilize phosphorus. Most of isolates resulted in a significant increase in plant height, root length, and dry matter production of shoot and root of rice seedlings. Furthermore, PGPR isolates remarkably increased seed germination of rice. Among the ten isolates, PGB4 and PGG2 were found almost equally better in all aspects such as dry matter production, plant height and root length of rice, and IAA production. Isolate PGT3 was also found to be promising in IAA production having an additional property of phosphate solubilization. The present study, therefore, suggests that the use of PGPR isolates PGB4, PGG2 and PGT3 as inoculant biofertilizers might be beneficial for rice cultivation as they enhanced growth of rice, and induced IAA production and phosphorus solubilization

Physicochemical studies on effect of additives on clouding behavior and thermodynamics of polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monooleate

Cloud point (CP) of nonionic surfactant, namely polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monooleate (Tween-80) in aqueous environment and in the presence of different additives such as salts (sodium chloride, NaCl; sodium sulfate, Na2SO4; sodium nitrate, NaNO3) and polymers (polyvinylpyrrolidone, PVP; polyvinyl alcohol, PVA; polyethylene glycol, PEG) have been studied. The CP values of Tween-80 in aqueous medium are found to decrease with increase of surfactant concentration. The CP values of Tween-80 are lower in magnitude in the presence of sodium salts as compared to those in aqueous medium; the effect of sodium salts (between 0.1 and 10 mmol L-1) in reducing CP values were found to be in the order: Na2SO4 ˃ NaCl ˃ NaNO3. The CP values of Tween-80 solutions also decrease with increasing concentrations of polymers used. The values of ∆G0c are positive in all the cases, indicating the non-spontaneous nature of clouding. ∆H0c and ∆S0c values were found to be almost negative in the presence of salts and polymers, except in the case of the PEG-water system. The negative values of ∆H0c and ∆S0c decrease with increasing concentrations of salts and polymers

Strong in-plane magnetic anisotropy (Co0.15Fe0.85)5GeTe2/graphene van der Waals heterostructure spin-valve at room temperature

Van der Waals (vdW) magnets are promising owing to their tunable magnetic properties with doping or alloy composition, where the strength of magnetic interactions, their symmetry, and magnetic anisotropy can be tuned according to the desired application. However, most of the vdW magnet based spintronic devices are so far limited to cryogenic temperatures with magnetic anisotropies favouring out-of-plane or canted orientation of the magnetization. Here, we report room-temperature lateral spin-valve devices with strong in-plane magnetic anisotropy of the vdW ferromagnet (Co0.15Fe0.85)5GeTe2 (CFGT) in heterostructures with graphene. Magnetization measurements reveal above room-temperature ferromagnetism in CFGT with a strong in-plane magnetic anisotropy. Density functional theory calculations show that the magnitude of the anisotropy depends on the Co concentration and is caused by the substitution of Co in the outermost Fe layer. Heterostructures consisting of CFGT nanolayers and graphene were used to experimentally realize basic building blocks for spin valve devices such as efficient spin injection and detection. The spin transport and Hanle spin precession measurements prove a strong in-plane and negative spin polarization at the interface with graphene, which is supported by the calculated spin-polarized density of states of CFGT. The in-plane magnetization of CFGT at room temperature proves its usefulness in graphene lateral spin-valve devices, thus opening further opportunities for spintronic technologies

A Room-Temperature Spin-Valve with van der Waals Ferromagnet Fe5GeTe2/Graphene Heterostructure

The discovery of van der Waals (vdW) magnets opened a new paradigm for condensed matter physics and spintronic technologies. However, the operations of active spintronic devices with vdW ferromagnets are limited to cryogenic temperatures, inhibiting their broader practical applications. Here, the robust room-temperature operation of lateral spin-valve devices using the vdW itinerant ferromagnet Fe5GeTe2 in heterostructures with graphene is demonstrated. The room-temperature spintronic properties of Fe5GeTe2 are measured at the interface with graphene with a negative spin polarization. Lateral spin-valve and spin-precession measurements provide unique insights by probing the Fe5GeTe2/graphene interface spintronic properties via spin-dynamics measurements, revealing multidirectional spin polarization. Density functional theory calculations in conjunction with Monte Carlo simulations reveal significantly canted Fe magnetic moments in Fe5GeTe2 along with the presence of negative spin polarization at the Fe5GeTe2/graphene interface. These findings open opportunities for vdW interface design and applications of vdW-magnet-based spintronic devices at ambient temperatures

Electrically Controlled Spin Injection from Giant Rashba Spin-Orbit Conductor BiTeBr

Ferromagnetic materials are the widely used source of spin-polarized electrons in spintronic devices, which are controlled by external magnetic fields or spin-transfer torque methods. However, with increasing demand for smaller and faster spintronic components utilization of spin-orbit phenomena provides promising alternatives. New materials with unique spin textures are highly desirable since all-electric creation and control of spin polarization is expected where the strength, as well as an arbitrary orientation of the polarization, can be defined without the use of a magnetic field. In this work, we use a novel spin-orbit crystal BiTeBr for this purpose. Because of its giant Rashba spin splitting, bulk spin polarization is created at room temperature by an electric current. Integrating BiTeBr crystal into graphene-based spin valve devices, we demonstrate for the first time that it acts as a current-controlled spin injector, opening new avenues for future spintronic applications in integrated circuits

Patient’s Knowledge and Attitude towards Tuberculosis in an Urban Setting

Tuberculosis is a public health problem in Bangladesh. This cross-sectional study was conducted to assess knowledge of TB patients about symptoms, ways of transmission and treatment of tuberculosis, and their perception of the illness. Between March and August 2008, 762 adult TB patients were interviewed at selected DOTS centre of Dhaka city. Male and female distribution was 55.6% and 44.4%, respectively. One quarter of them were illiterate, and more than half had extended family and live in a congested situation. Night fever was the most common symptom known (89.9%), and 56% were aware that it could spread through sneezing/coughing. Television was mentioned as a source of information about TB. The majority expressed a helping attitude towards other TB patients. Although most of them were positive about getting family support, 46.6% mentioned discrimination of separate utensils for food or drink. About 50.5% expressed increased sadness, 39.8% had fear of loss of job/wedges, and 21.4% felt socially neglected. Along with drug treatment the psychosocial reactions of TB patients should be addressed at DOTS centers for better control of the disease

Physicochemical studies on effect of additives on clouding behavior and thermodynamics of polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monooleate

793-802Cloud point (CP) of nonionic surfactant, namely polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monooleate (Tween-80) in aqueous environment and in the presence of different additives such as salts (sodium chloride, NaCl; sodium sulfate, Na2SO4; sodium nitrate, NaNO3) and polymers (polyvinylpyrrolidone, PVP; polyvinyl alcohol, PVA; polyethylene glycol, PEG) have been studied. The CP values of Tween-80 in aqueous medium are found to decrease with increase of surfactant concentration. The CP values of Tween-80 are lower in magnitude in the presence of sodium salts as compared to those in aqueous medium; the effect of sodium salts (between 0.1 and 10 mmol L-1) in reducing CP values were found to be in the order: Na2SO4 ˃ NaCl ˃ NaNO3. The CP values of Tween-80 solutions also decrease with increasing concentrations of polymers used. The values of ∆G0c are positive in all the cases, indicating the non-spontaneous nature of clouding. ∆H0c and ∆S0c values were found to be almost negative in the presence of salts and polymers, except in the case of the PEG-water system. The negative values of ∆H0c and ∆S0c decrease with increasing concentrations of salts and polymers