Fodder Productivity of Different Genotypes of \u3cem\u3eCenchrus ciliaris\u3c/em\u3e under Hot Arid Climate of Thar Desert

Indian arid zone occupies about 31.7 million ha of land, of which 62% lies in western Rajasthan. The climate of the area is typically arid, characterized by hot dry summers, sub-humid monsoon and cold dry winters. The soils are coarse loamy sand with low level of nutrients. These factors render cropping an undependable proposition, while animal husbandry remains the main stake of the local people. Lasiurus sindicus, Cenchrus ciliaris, C. setigerus, Panicum antidotale, P. turgidum and Cymbopogon spp., are the main perennial grasses grow in this area. These grasses had three folds advantages in the arid agricultural economy, i.e., the cheapest livestock feed, soil builders and aid in soil conservation. Due to frequent droughts and overgrazing the productivity of the natural grasslands in the region has declined to \u3c 300 kg/ha per year. The ever existing gap between demand and supply of the fodder can be bridged by improving the rangelands by adopting improved grassland management techniques including genetically improved genotypes for their productivity and quality. Buffel grass (C. ciliaris L.) is one of the dominant grasses of Dichanthium-Cenchrus-Lasiurus grass cover of India (Dabadghao and Shankarnarayan, 1973). It is well distributed in hotter and drier parts of India, Mediterranean region, tropical and southern Africa. It is adapted to a wide range of soils and climatic conditions and can be cultivated in areas receiving rainfall from 150 to 1250 mm annually. It grows well on sandy to sandy-loam soils in semiarid and arid regions, forming mats or tussocks (Mansoor et al., 2002). The forage of this grass is highly palatable and rich in protein (Sawal et al., 2009). It has 6 to 10% crude protein, 34% crude fibre, 13% ash, 1.5% ether extract and 44% nitrogen free extract of dry matter at flowering. In earlier efforts at CAZRI, Jodhpur, germplasm was collected from different areas of arid zone and some accessions were identified for their fodder productivity and quality. Five genotypes were selected to assess their response for fodder production over the years under hot dry conditions

Factors Associated with Discharge to a Skilled Nursing Facility after Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement Surgery

An assumption regarding transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), a minimally invasive procedure for treating aortic stenosis, is that patients remain at, or near baseline and soon return to their presurgical home to resume activities of daily living. However, this does not consistently occur. The purpose of this study was to identify preoperative factors that optimally predict discharge to a skilled nursing facility (SNF) after TAVR. Delineation of these conditions is an important step in developing a risk stratification model to assist in making informed decisions. Data was extracted from the American College of Cardiology (ACC) transcatheter valve therapy (TVT) registry and the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) database on 285 patients discharged from 2012–2017 at a tertiary referral heart institute located in the southeastern region of the United States. An analysis of assessment, clinical and demographic variables was used to estimate relative risk (RR) of discharge to a SNF. The majority of participants were female (55%) and white (84%), with a median age of 82 years (interquartile range = 9). Approximately 27% (n = 77) were discharged to a SNF. Age > 75 years (RR = 2.3, p = 0.0026), female (RR = 1.6, p = 0.019), 5-meter walk test (5MWT) >7 s (RR = 2.0, p = 0.0002) and not using home oxygen (RR = 2.9, p = 0.0084) were identified as independent predictive factors for discharge to a SNF. We report a parsimonious risk-stratification model that estimates the probability of being discharged to a SNF following TAVR. Our findings will facilitate making informed treatment decisions regarding this older patient population

Use of polyethylene glycol coatings for optical fibre humidity sensing

Humidity induced change in the refractive index and thickness of the polyethylene glycol (PEG) coatings are in situ investigated for a range from 10 to 95%, using an optical waveguide spectroscopic technique. It is experimentally demonstrated that, upon humidity change, the optical and swelling characteristics of the PEG coatings can be employed to build a plastic fibre optic humidity sensor. The sensing mechanism is based on the humidity induced change in the refractive index of the PEG film, which is directly coated onto a polished segment of a plastic optical fibre with dip-coating method. It is observed that PEG, which is a highly hydrophilic material, shows no monotonic linear response to humidity but gives different characteristics for various ranges of humidity levels both in index of refraction and in thickness. It undergoes a physical phase change from a semi-crystal line structure to a gel one at around 80% relative humidity. At this phase change point, a drastic decrease occurs in the index of refraction as well as a drastic increase in the swelling of the PEG film. In addition, PEG coatings are hydrogenated in a vacuum chamber. It is observed that the hydrogen has a preventing effect on the humidity induced phase change in PEG coatings. Finally, the possibility of using PEG coatings in construction of a real plastic fibre optic humidity sensor is discussed. (C) 2008 The Optical Society of Japan

Multiple and Multidimensional life transitions in the context of life-limiting health conditions:Longitudinal study focussing on perspectives of Young Adults, Families and Professionals

Background: There is a dearth of literature that investigates life transitions of young adults (YAs) with life-limiting conditions, families and professionals. The scant literature that is available has methodological limitations, including not listening to the voice of YAs, collecting data retrospectively, at one time point, from one group’s perspective and single case studies. The aim of this study was to address the gaps found in our literature review and provide a clearer understanding of the multiple and multi-dimensional life transitions experienced by YAs and significant others, over a period of time. Methods: This qualitative study used a longitudinal design and data were collected using semi-structured interviews over a 6-month period at 3 time points. Participants included 12 YAs with life-limiting conditions and their nominated significant others (10 family members and 11 professionals). Data were analysed using a thematic analysis approach. Results: Life transitions of YA and significant others are complex; they experience multiple and multi-dimensional transitions across several domains. The findings challenge the notion that all life transitions are triggered by health transitions of YAs, and has highlighted environmental factors (attitudinal and systemic) that can be changed to facilitate smoother transitions in various aspects of their lives. Conclusions: This study makes a unique and significant contribution to literature. It provides evidence and rich narratives for policy makers and service providers to change policies and practices that are in line with the needs of YAs with life-limiting conditions as they transition to adulthood. Families and professionals have specific training needs that have not yet been met fully

Swift Heavy Ion Induced Modification Studies of C60 Thin Films

Modification induced by 110 MeV Ni ion irradiated thin film samples of C60 on Si and quartz substrates were studied at various fluences. The pristine and irradiated samples were investigated using Raman spectroscopy, electrical conductivity and optical absorption spectroscopy. The Raman data and band gap measurements indicate that swift ions at low fluences result in formations that involve multiple molecular units like dimer or polymer. High fluence irradiation resulted in sub-molecular formations and amorphous semiconducting carbon, indicating overall damage of the fullerene molecules. These sub-molecular units have been identified with nanocrystalline diamond and nanocrystalline graphite like formations.Comment: 7 pages, 29 references and 9 figures submitted to J. Appl. Phy