Origin of X-rays in the low state of the FSRQ 3C 273: Evidence of inverse Compton emission

We analyze the 2.5--10 keV X-ray spectra of the luminous quasar 3C 273 and simultaneous observations in UV wavelengths from XMM--Newton between 2000 and 2015. The lowest flux level ever was observed in 2015. The continuum emission from 3C 273 is generally best described by an absorbed power-law but during extremely low states the addition of fluorescence from the K-shell iron line improves the fit. We study the spectral evolution of the source during its extended quiescent state and also examine connections between the X-ray and ultraviolet emissions, which have been seen in some, but not all, previous work. We detect a possible anti-correlation between these two bands during the low state that characterized 3C 273 for most of this period; however, this was not present during a flaring state. A harder-when-brighter trend for the X-ray spectrum was observed in these long-term observations of 3C 273 for the first time. We suggest that the X-ray emission in 3C 273 is the result of inverse Compton scattering of soft UV seed photons (emitted from the local environment of the AGN), most likely in a thermal corona. We can explain the significant temporal variation of the spectral continuum as an outcome of changing optical depth of the comptonizing medium, along the lines of the wind-shock model proposed by Courvoisier and Camenzind (1989).Comment: 17 pages, 8 figures, 3 tables; Accepted for publication in MNRA

MINERAL CONTENT OF SOME EDIBLE MEDICINALLY IMPORTANT LEAFY VEGETABLES OF KAMRUP DISTRICT OF ASSAM, INDIA

Objective: The aim of the present study was to determine the mineral components of Amaranthus spinosus, Oxalis corniculata, Bacopa monnieri, Paedaria foetida and Centella asiatica.Methods: Mineral compositions of the five selected edible medicinally important leafy vegetables were evaluated following standard methods including AAS.Results: All the examined vegetables were found to be the rich source of macroelements as well as trace minerals. Potassium was the most abundant macroelement ranging from 4570.0-16030.0 mg/kg, followed by sodium, calcium and magnesium. Among the trace elements iron was highest (184.1- 518.2 mg/kg), followed by zinc, manganese and copper.Conclusion: From the present study it can be concluded that the plants under investigation are potential source of both macro and micronutrients and proper consumption prove to be beneficial as they cure several deficiency as well as other deadly diseases.Â

Small intestinal mucosal cells in piglets fed with probiotic and zinc: a qualitative and quantitative microanatomical study

Background: Probiotics and zinc are commonly used and beneficial in pig production. This work aimed to assess the effects of probiotic and zinc on the mucosal cells of the small intestine in respect to digestive capacity and immunity in pre- and post-weaned piglets.Materials and methods: Eighteen Large White Yorkshire piglets were divided equally into control and treatment groups. The piglets were maintained in standard management conditions and were weaned at 28 days of age. The treatment group of piglets fed a mixture of probiotics orally at 1.25 × 109 CFU/day and zinc at 2000 ppm/day from birth to 10 days of age. At three different age-groups viz. day 20 (pre-weaning) and, day 30 and day 60 (post-weaning), the animals were sacrificed. For histomorphology, the tissue samples were processed and stained with Mayer’s haematoxylin and eosin for routine study, combined periodic acid-Schiff-Alcian blue for mucopolysaccharides and Masson-Hamperl argentaffin technique for argentaffin cells. The stained slides were observed under the microscope. The samples were processed as per the standard procedure for scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The statistical analysis of the data using the appropriate statistical tests was also conducted.Results: The mucosal epithelium of villi and crypts were lined by enterocytes, goblet cells, argentaffin cells, microfold (M-cell) cells, tuft cells and intraepithelial lymphocytes. The multipotent stem cells were located at the crypt base. The length of the enterocyte microvilli was significantly longer (p < 0.05) in the treatment group of piglets. The number of different types of goblet cells and argentaffin cells was more in treated piglets irrespective of segments of intestine and age. The intraepithelial lymphocytes were located in apical, nuclear and basal positions in the lining epithelium of both villus tip and base with their significant increase in the treatment group of piglets. The transmission electron microscopy revealed the frequent occurrence of tuft cells in the lining mucosa of the small intestine in treated piglets.Conclusions: Dietary supplementation of probiotic and zinc induced the number of different mucosal cells of villi and crypts in the small intestine that might suggest the greater absorptive capacity of nutrients and effective immunity in critical pre and post-weaned piglets

Using Qualitative Methods to Explore Farrier-Related Barriers to Successful Farriery Interventions for Equine Welfare in India

Farriery is a critical component of healthcare services for working equids. However, in India, an informal workforce, lack of structured training facilities and non-implementation of farriery regulations pose challenges for quality farriery. Brooke India, an equine welfare organisation, has undertaken many initiatives aiming to improve farriery services, including technical training and engagement with equid-owning communities. However, this has met with varying success. The study aimed to identify factors that prevent farriers providing quality farriery services. Focus-group discussions were conducted with farriers from two districts of Uttar Pradesh with varying programme outcomes. Within each area, farriers were grouped according to previous level of engagement with Brooke programmes. Demand for services, farrier status, the external environment and technical training and knowledge were identified as key elements that affected farriery work. These factors were very context specific: in areas where brick kilns provided the majority of customers, recent closures had resulted in an increase in those farriers’ feeling of insecurity. A systems approach to improving farriery services, taking these factors into account, is advised. Mentoring-based capacity building, which is closely aligned to farrier needs and expectations, is expected to have positive results in terms of technical skill and farrier engagement

Investigating Dark Matter-Admixed Neutron Stars with NITR Equation of State in Light of PSR J0952-0607

The heaviest pulsar, PSR J0952-0607, with a mass of $M=2.35\pm0.17 \ M_\odot$, has recently been discovered in the disk of the Milky Way Galaxy. In response to this discovery, a new RMF model, "NITR" has been developed. The NITR model's naturalness has been confirmed by assessing its validity for various finite nuclei and nuclear matter (NM) properties, including incompressibility, symmetry energy, and slope parameter values of 225.11, 31.69, and 43.86 MeV, respectively. These values satisfy the empirical/experimental limits currently available. The maximum mass and canonical radius of a neutron star (NS) calculated using the NITR model parameters are 2.35$M_\odot$ and 12.73 km, respectively, which fall within the range of PSR J0952-0607 and the latest NICER limit. This study aims to test the NITR model consistency by applying it to different systems and, consequently, calibrate its validity extensively. Subsequently, the NITR model equation of state (EOS) is employed to obtain the properties of a dark matter admixed neutron star using two approaches: non-gravitational (single fluid) and two-fluid. In the two-fluid model, the dark matter (DM) particles only interact with each other via gravity rather than the nucleons. In both cases, the equation of state becomes softer due to DM interactions, which reduces various macroscopic properties such as maximum mass, radius, tidal deformability, etc. Additionally, through the use of various observational data, efforts are made to constraint the quantity of DM within the NS