Biodegradability and Nitrogen Use Efficiency of Crotonaldehyde Diurea in Wheat

A field experiment was conducted to test the efficacy of Rhodococcus spp for biodegradability of crotonaldehyde diurea and its N use efficiency in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)â€at different critical growth stages and five treatments of nitrogen. The soil sample was collected and attempted to isolate the Rhodococcus spp. on selective medium. The Rhodococcus spp. showed profuse growth in a medium containing 0.1 % urea and slightly less profuse growth on the medium containing 0.1 % CDU as a sole nitrogen source. The CDU contained ammonical and nitrate nitrogen 19.6 and 13.0 %, respectively. It thus appeared that the soil microorganism Rhodococcus spp. can utilize the CDU probably suggesting that microorganism could have enzymatic activity which can degrade CDU. The activity of nitrate assimilating enzyme was assayed from the leaf tissues at four critical stages showed that the treatment T5 (100 % CDU) recorded highest activities of  NR, NiR, and GS, high nitrogen up take, high NUE and higher grain yield. Thus it appeared that Crotonaldehyde Diurea (CDU) is biodegradable by the Rhodococcus spp. present in the soil rhizosphere and applied once at the time of sowing

EVALUATION OF NUTRITIONAL AND COOKING QUALITY OF RICE GRAINS

The rice grains of six genotypes differing in genetic background were evaluated for physical characteristics, proximate composition and cooking quality characteristics. The seed index varied from 10.48 to 20.77g per 1000 grains. Grain: Husk ratio varied from 3.36 to 4.12. and Length: breadth ratio ranged from 2.99 to 3.59. The nutritional composition of genotypes in percent was moisture, 12.63 to 14.03; crude protein, 6.83 to 7.3; crude fat, 0.85 to 1.48; crude fiber, 0.61 to 0.96; ash, 0.65 to 0.92 and carbohydrates, 76.12 to 78.58. The iron and zinc content varied between 9.7 to 20 ppm and 21.8 to 29.8 ppm respectively. The grains of genotype Bhogavati were found to be high in protein content of 7.30 per cent, whereas minimum crude fiber content was observed in genotype Phule Samrudhi. The genotypes Bhogavati and Phule maval recorded the lysine content of 3.84 to 5.06g 16-1 g N respectively. The grain starch content varied from 71.14 to 76.75 per cent. The genotypes Bhogavati and Phule Samrudhi exhibited the highest amylose content of 26.76 and 24.03 per cent, respectively, while the genotype Phule Maval exhibited highest amylopectin content of 85.36 per cent. The grain swelling ratio varied from 1.64 to 2.34 and the cooking time ranged from 15 to 21.6 minutes. The genotype Phule Maval exhibited highest grain swelling. The rice requiring higher grain cooking time were found to be very sticky as stickiness was found to be significantly and positively correlated with crude protein, crude fat, crude fibre, grain swelling, cooking time and amylopectin, and negatively correlated with starch and amylose. This study revealed that genotype Bhogavati and Phule Maval to be revealed nutritionally better with good cooking quality.Â

Patient’s quality of life after surgery and radiotherapy for extremity soft tissue sarcoma : a retrospective single-center study over ten years

Background and objectives The purpose of this study is to analyze major complication rates and different aspects of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in extremity soft tissue sarcoma (STS) patients treated with or without radio (chemo) therapy and surgery. Methods We performed a retrospective analysis of all patients who underwent Extremity STS excision from 2004 to 2014 (182 patients included). Patients’ data were collected from patients’ records. HRQoL was assessed by using EORTC QLQ-C30. Results A total of 182 patients underwent sarcoma resection. After neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy (RCT), the major-complication rate amounted to 28% (vs. 7%, no radiotherapy, p <  0.001). Major-complication rates after adjuvant radiotherapy (RT) occurred in 8% (vs. 7%, no radiotherapy, p = 0.265). Comparison QoL scores between treating with neoadjuvant RCT or without RT revealed significant worse scores with neoadjuvant RCT. Further stratification of disease control of these patients showed significant reduced scores in the group of disease-free patients with neoadjuvant RCT compared to irradiated disease-free patients. Discussion To date, there have only been a few investigations of QoL in STS. Retrospective study on quality of life have limitations, like a lack of baseline evaluation of QoL. Patient candidated to radiation therapy could have had worse QoL baseline due to more advanced disease. Disease status of the patients who answered the questionnaires could have been an influence of QoL and we could show reduced scores in the group of disease-free patients with neoadjuvant RCT, but not for the patients with recurrence or metastasis, so it is very hard to discriminate whether radiation therapy could really have an impact or not. Conclusion This study might assist in further improving the understanding of QoL in STS patients and may animate for prospective studies examining the oncological therapies impact on HRQoL