Technical Efficiency in Maize Production in Madhya Pradesh: Estimation and Implications

The state of Madhya Pradesh is one of the traditional maize growing states, accounting for 13 per cent of the total maize area and contributing equally to the total maize production in the country. However, its productivity when compared to other maize growing states is very low. The study has found that even though a majority of the farmers cultivate improved maize cultivars, the overall technology adoption by them is poor. This may be due to the inability of a majority of farmers to follow the recommended package of practices for the improved cultivars because of the high costs involved in their adoption and lack of infrastructural facilities. Therefore, steps need to be initiated to solve this problem. A comparison of costs on cultivation of traditional, composite and hybrid cultivars has revealed that the cost increases significantly on using the improved cultivars due to higher requirements of fertilizers, irrigation, and plant protection chemicals as compared to those in the traditional varieties. However, with the significant increase in yield, the unit cost of production has been much lower in the case of improved cultivars. The economics of cultivation of maize when compared with its competing crops like paddy and soybean have revealed that the paddy is superior to all the maize cultivars in output/input ratio. The hybrid maize has been found superior to soybean as well as paddy in terms of net returns and hence the farmers could cultivate maize rather than paddy since the latter has higher water requirement. The estimation of technical efficiency of the farmers has revealed that on an average the sample farms operate 23 per cent below the frontier output levels. Hence, it has been observed that the maize output can be increased through adoption of proper technology by the farmers. It requires support from both the state government (in terms of providing infrastructural/ institutional support like drying and storage facilities, arrangement for assured procurement, etc.) as well as the private companies (in terms of supply of quality seeds and chemical pesticides at reasonable prices).Agricultural and Food Policy,

GBM radiosensitizers: dead in the water…or just the beginning?

The finding that most GBMs recur either near or within the primary site after radiotherapy has fueled great interest in the development of radiosensitizers to enhance local control. Unfortunately, decades of clinical trials testing a wide range of novel therapeutic approaches have failed to yield any clinically viable radiosensitizers. However, many of  the previous radiosensitizing strategies were not based on clear pre-clinical evidence, and in many cases blood-barrier penetration was not considered. Furthermore, DNA repair inhibitors have only recenly arrived in the clinic, and likely represent potent agents for glioma radiosensitization. Here, we present recent progress in the use of small molecule DNA damage response inhibitors as GBM radiosensitizers. In addition, we discuss the latest progress in targeting hypoxia and oxidative stress for GBM radiosensitization

A national facilitation project to improve primary palliative care : impact of the Gold Standards Framework on process and self-ratings of quality

Background: Improving quality of end-of-life care is a key driver of UK policy. The Gold Standards Framework (GSF) for Palliative Care aims to strengthen primary palliative care through facilitating implementation of systematic clinical and organisational processes. Objectives: To describe the general practices that participated in the GSF programme in 2003–5 and the changes in process and perception of quality that occurred in the year following entry into the programme, and to identify factors associated with the extent of change. Methods: Participating practices completed a questionnaire at baseline and another approximately 12 months later. Data were derived from categorical questions about the implementation of 35 organisational and clinical processes, and self-rated assessments of quality, associated with palliative care provision. Participants: 1305 practices (total registered population almost 10 million). Follow-up questionnaire completed by 955 (73.2%) practices (after mean (SD) 12.8 (2.8) months; median 13 months). Findings: Mean increase in total number of processes implemented (maximum = 35) was 9.6 (95% CI 9.0 to 10.2; p<0.001; baseline: 15.7 (SD 6.4), follow-up: 25.2 (SD 5.2)). Extent of change was largest for practices with low baseline scores. Aspects of process related to coordination and communication showed the greatest change. All dimensions of quality improved following GSF implementation; change was highest for the "quality of palliative care for cancer patients" and "confidence in assessing, recording and addressing the physical and psychosocial areas of patient care". Conclusion: Implementation of the GSF seems to have resulted in substantial improvements in process and quality of palliative care. Further research is required of the extent to which this has enhanced care (physical, practical and psychological outcomes) for patients and carers

Assessment of quality of life measured by rhinoconjuctivits quality of life questionnaire in patients of allergic rhinitis treated with commonly used oral antihistaminics

Background: Nasal and non-nasal symptoms in allergic rhinitis (AR) can be assessed by measuring health related quality of life (HRQOL). Present study was to assess the impact of use of antihistaminic in AR which will affect the work productivity, sleep, frequent visits to health care professional and expenditure on medicines. For this evaluation, Rhinoconjuctivits Quality Of Life Questionnaire (RQLQ) has been used.Methods: In this study 52 patients with AR were randomized in an open-label, 4-arm, parallel group, single center study. Questionnaire information was obtained about allergy-related RQLQ. Subjects received either Tablet Cetirizine 5 mg, Levocetirizine 5 mg, Loratidine 5 mg or Fexofenadine 120 mg. Changes from baseline until the end of study visit (1 week following) were evaluated by RQLQ.Results: When compared between treatment groups using one-way ANOVA it was observed that there is no variation in RQLQ overall Score in all the four treatment groups and there is no difference from treatment to treatment. Overall RQLQ score was reduced maximum in Levocetirizine group. Individual symptoms of RQLQ that is sleep score, non-hay fever, practical problem, nasal symptom score, Eye symptom Score, activities Score, and emotion score were also improved in the Levocetirizine group.Conclusions: Patients of all four study groups showed an improved perception of their HRQL according to the RQLQ. Significant improvements are reported in nasal symptoms, daily activities, sleep and psychological impact. Our results provide support for an AR and its impact on quality of life. Our recommendation stipulating that levocetirizine is superior to rest drug group for the treatment of AR with safety and tolerability

Forbidden subgraphs of power graphs

Funding: CSIR, India (Grant No-09/983(0037)/2019-EMR-I), SERB, India through Core Research Grant (File Number-CRG/2020/000447).The undirected power graph (or simply power graph) of a group G, denoted by P(G), is a graph whose vertices are the elements of the group G, in which two vertices u and v are connected by an edge between if and only if either u = vi or v = uj for some i,j. A number of important graph classes, including perfect graphs, cographs, chordal graphs, split graphs, and threshold graphs, can be defined either structurally or in terms of forbidden induced subgraphs. We examine each of these five classes and attempt to determine for which groups G the power graph P(G) lies in the class under consideration. We give complete results in the case of nilpotent groups, and partial results in greater generality. In particular, the power graph is always perfect; and we determine completely the groups whose power graph is a threshold or split graph (the answer is the same for both classes). We give a number of open problems.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

On finite groups whose power graph is a cograph

Funding: The author Pallabi Manna is supported by CSIR (Grant No-09/983(0037)/2019-EMR-I). Ranjit Mehatari thanks the SERB, India, for financial support (File Number: CRG/2020/000447) through the Core Research Grant.A P4-free graph is called a cograph. In this paper we partially characterize finite groups whose power graph is a cograph. As we will see, this problem is a generalization of the determination of groups in which every element has prime power order, first raised by Graham Higman in 1957 and fully solved very recently. First we determine all groups G and H for which the power power graph of G times H is a cograph. We show that groups whose power graph is a cograph can be characterised by a condition only involving elements whose orders are prime or the product of two (possibly equal) primes. Some important graph classes are also taken under consideration. For finite simple groups we show that in most of the cases their power graphs are not cographs: the only ones for which the power graphs are cographs are certain groups PSL(2,q) and Sz(q) and the group PSL(3,4). However, a complete determination of these groups involves some hard number-theoretic problems.PostprintPeer reviewe

On finite groups whose power graph is a cograph

Funding: The author Pallabi Manna is supported by CSIR (Grant No-09/983(0037)/2019-EMR-I). Ranjit Mehatari thanks the SERB, India, for financial support (File Number: CRG/2020/000447) through the Core Research Grant.A P4-free graph is called a cograph. In this paper we partially characterize finite groups whose power graph is a cograph. As we will see, this problem is a generalization of the determination of groups in which every element has prime power order, first raised by Graham Higman in 1957 and fully solved very recently. First we determine all groups G and H for which the power power graph of G times H is a cograph. We show that groups whose power graph is a cograph can be characterised by a condition only involving elements whose orders are prime or the product of two (possibly equal) primes. Some important graph classes are also taken under consideration. For finite simple groups we show that in most of the cases their power graphs are not cographs: the only ones for which the power graphs are cographs are certain groups PSL(2,q) and Sz(q) and the group PSL(3,4). However, a complete determination of these groups involves some hard number-theoretic problems.PostprintPeer reviewe

Antimicrobial Activity of Selected Medicinal Plants, \u3cem\u3eCraetva magna\u3c/em\u3e (Linn.), \u3cem\u3ePongamia glabra\u3c/em\u3e (Linn.) and \u3cem\u3eAreca catechu\u3c/em\u3e (Linn.)

Antimicrobial potential in the extracts of three plants. viz. Craetva magna (Linn.), Pongamia glabra (Linn.), Areca catechu (Linn.) that are commonly used by the Kani Tribes of Tirunelveli district, was traced in the present study. The extract of the plant Craetva magna (Linn.), inhibited the growth of pathogenic microbes. Soxhlet extract using chloroform as solvent showed a maximum inhibition of zone formation for the species Salmonella paratyphi (14 mm), and Vibrio cholerae (13 mm) at a concentration of 50 µg/ml. The crude extract of the plant Pongamia glabra (Linn.), showed maximum inhibition for the species Salmonella paratyphi (8 mm), and Vibrio fischeri (8mm) at the concentration of 50 µg/ml. In the Soxhlet-chloroform extract, of Areca catechu the maximum inhibition zone was observed for Vibrio cholerae (14 mm), and Salmonella paratyphi (13 mm). In the present study it was observed that the extracts of the bark of the Craetva magna (Linn.), Pongamia glabra (Linn.), Areca catechu (Linn.), had a broad spectrum antifungal activity

Diagnostic errors in paediatric cardiac intensive care

AbstractIntroductionDiagnostic errors cause significant patient harm and increase costs. Data characterising such errors in the paediatric cardiac intensive care population are limited. We sought to understand the perceived frequency and types of diagnostic errors in the paediatric cardiac ICU.MethodsPaediatric cardiac ICU practitioners including attending and trainee physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and registered nurses at three North American tertiary cardiac centres were surveyed between October 2014 and January 2015.ResultsThe response rate was 46% (N=200). Most respondents (81%) perceived that diagnostic errors harm patients more than five times per year. More than half (65%) reported that errors permanently harm patients, and up to 18% perceived that diagnostic errors contributed to death or severe permanent harm more than five times per year. Medication side effects and psychiatric conditions were thought to be most commonly misdiagnosed. Physician groups also ranked pulmonary overcirculation and viral illness to be commonly misdiagnosed as bacterial illness. Inadequate care coordination, data assessment, and high clinician workload were cited as contributory factors. Delayed diagnostic studies and interventions related to the severity of the patient’s condition were thought to be the most commonly reported process breakdowns. All surveyed groups ranked improving teamwork and feedback pathways as strategies to explore for preventing future diagnostic errors.ConclusionsPaediatric cardiac intensive care practitioners perceive that diagnostic errors causing permanent harm are common and associated more with systematic and process breakdowns than with cognitive limitations.</jats:sec

The Application Of Impact Dampers To Continuous Systems

A study has been made of the application of impact dampers to two types of continuous systems, a simply supported and a clamped beam. Experimental models were tested in the laboratory and computer programs were developed to calculate response by two separate approaches. Results from calculations agreed favorably with experimental tests. Curves presented show the response to be expected for values of significant system parameters and enable the user to apply impact dampers to these types of continuous systems. © 1975 by ASME