Using energy pricing as a tool for efficient, equitable and sustainable use of groundwater for irrigation: evidence from three locations of India

Groundwater irrigationCostsElectrical energyPricingPumpingWater use efficiencyWater productivityMilk productionDairy farmsLivestockWater useFodderCrop management

How serious are groundwater over-exploitation problems in India?: a fresh investigation into an old issue

Groundwater developmentAssessmentRechargeAquifersWater balanceWellsTube wellsPumpingCostsEconomic impact

Gene expression strategies of barley yellow dwarf virus

Barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV) has a positive sense, 5.7kb RNA genome encoding at least six open reading frames (ORFs). BYDV uses variety of unusual translational strategies to express its genes. These include frameshifting in the polymerase (60K) ORF, leaky scanning at the AUGs of the overlapping coat protein (CP) and 17K ORFs, and readthrough of the CP stop codon;Full-length cDNA clone of BYDV-PAV has been constructed to understand functions of different viral genes and the roles of specific sequences in translation, replication and encapsidation. Translation in cell-free extracts using in vitro synthesized full-length transcripts resulted in expected 99 kDa frameshift product. These transcripts were biologically active. The 39K ORF at the 5\u27 end of the genome overlaps by 13 nucleotides with a 60K ORF. The region of overlap contains a shifty heptanucleotide, followed by a highly structured region that may contain a pseudoknot. The 39K ORF stop codon immediately next to the shifty heptanucleotide sequence is necessary for in vivo frameshifting and viral replication. Deletion mutants indicate that the ORF1, ORF2 and ORF6 or 3[superscript]\u27 terminal 1157 nucleotides are necessary for BYDV-PAV replication in protoplasts;The CP, 17K and 50K ORFs located at the 3\u27 half of the genome are expressed from a tricistronic subgenomic RNA (sgRNA1), that is generated in infected cells. The 17K ORF is embedded in the sequence that encodes the CP ORF, in a different reading frame. The 17K ORF start codon is 43 bases downstream of the CP start codon. Ribosomes initiate translation at the start codons of both ORFs, giving rise to both proteins. Systematic mutagenesis was performed to show, in vitro and in vivo, that overlapping ORFs of the sgRNA1 are expressed by Kozak\u27s leaky scanning mechanisms. A new ribosome pausing model is proposed to explain the unexpected observation that mutations that reduce translation initiation at the downstream 17K AUG also reduce initiation at the upstream CP AUG. Implications of these results on expression of luteovirus coat protein in transgenic plants are discussed;The 50K ORF is translated by readthrough of the CP stop codon, giving rise to 72 kDa polypeptide in vitro. The GUS reporter gene was inserted downstream of the CP stop codon in the full-length BYDV-PAV infectious clone to elucidate the mechanism of readthrough for the luteovirus class. Results indicate that the signals required in luteovirus class are more complex and different from the well-studied tobacco mosaic virus like group of readthrough. Use of readthrough strategy to express biologically active recombinant proteins are discussed

Wells and ill-fare: impacts of well failures on cultivators in hard rock areas of Madhya Pradesh

WellsDrillingCostsGroundwater depletionWater tableGroundwater irrigationOwnershipEconomic impactSocial impactCrop managementFood security

Diesel price hikes and farmer distress: the myth and the reality

FuelsDiesel oilPricesFarmers attitudesPumpingCostsGroundwater irrigationWellsOwnershipEconomic impactWater productivityFarm incomeMilk production

AFFECT OF FATIGUE ON ACTIVATION STRATEGY OF MUSCLES: SEMG STUDY

This research aims to identify the neuromotor changes in muscles associated with fatigue during sprint cycling among 11 recreational cyclists who performed the WAT of 30s. The paper reports experiments conducted where changes in muscle recruitment strategies were studied using multiple recordings of SEMG of lower limb muscles and load was kept constant It is observed that near the end of such an exercise, there is a delay in activation / deactivation of the muscles. This causes the agonist muscles to do negative work during the upward part of the pedal cycle and reduces efficiency. It is suggested that if cyclists activated their muscles for shorter durations after they were fatigued, they may increase their output and reduce the stress on their muscles

Intensity interferometry of thermal photons from relativistic heavy ion collisions

Intensity interferometry of thermal photons, having transverse momenta $k_T \approx$ 0.1 -- 2.0 GeV, produced in relativistic collision of heavy nuclei is studied. It is seen to provide an accurate information about the temporal and spatial structure of the interacting system. The source dimensions and their $k_T$ dependence revealed by the photon interferometry, display a richness not seen in pion interferometry. We attribute this to difference in the source functions, the fact that photons come out from every stage of the collision and from every point in the system, and the fact that the rate of production of photons is different for the quark-gluon plasma, which dominates the early hot stage, and the hadronic matter which populates the last phase of the collision dynamics. The usefulness of this procedure is demonstrated by an application to collision of lead nuclei at the CERN SPS. Prediction for the transverse momentum dependence of the sizes for SPS, RHIC, and LHC energies are given.Comment: 16 pages, 11 figures. Added discussions and references. To appear in Phys. Rev.

Experimental Investigation on the Cold – Formed Steel – Concrete Composite Beam Under Flexure

Steel – concrete composite members are widely used in the construction of multistorey buildings and bridges. Composite construction takes the advantages of steel and concrete, in turn reduces the cost of construction. This paper discuss the use of galvanised steel with concrete as composite beam under flexural loading. Six specimens were tested to failure with varying number of headed stud connectors from 0 to 5. Load carrying capacity of the composite beam specimen improved by 62 % as compared to beam without shear connectors. The mode of failure of the composite beam is mainly due to failure of the shear connectors at tension zone, which leads to formation of multiple cracks on concrete portion. The analytical model was developed using finite element software ANSYS and found to obtain similar result as compared to the experimental results with minimal variation in the central deflection

Sweet cherry cultivars influenced the growth and productivity under HDP

In a field experiment, to identify the best sweet cherry varieties for high density orcharding, maximum canopy volume (18.94 cm3) was recorded in variety ‘Steela’ and minimum in ‘Lambert’ while, ‘Bigarreau Napoleon’ had maximum TCSA (213 cm2). Trees grown under HDP have lower TCSA in comparison to normal density. Primary and secondary branch girth were maximum in ‘Bigarreau Napoleon’ whereas, annual extension growth and shoot thickness were high in ‘Steela’. Yield, yield efficiency and cumulative yield efficiency were registered maximum in ‘Bigarreau Napoleon’ and ‘Bigarreau Noir Grossa’ cultivars. Largest fruit weight, fruit length and fruit diameter were found maximum (10.16 g/fruit), (25.51 mm) (25.20 mm) respectively in ‘Bigarreau Napoleon’. Total soluble solids were found maximum in ‘Bigarreau Noir Grossa’ (17.30 0Brix) among the studied cultivars. Correlation matrix showed that TCSA had positive correlation with canopy volume, primary branch girth and secondary branch girth and fruit weight showed positive correlation with fruit length and fruit diameter