Efficacy of botanicals and fungicides against Rhizoctonia solani inciting sheath blight disease on Rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Among the fungal diseases, sheath blight, caused by multinucleate Rhizoctoniasolani Kuhn (teleomorph: Thanatephorus cucumeris Donk), a ubiquitous pathogen, is an important fungal disease of rice ranking only after blast and often rivalling it. The potential losses due to sheath blight alone in India has been up to 51.3%. In this study an attempt was made to investigate the antifungal efficacy of botanicals viz., neem (Azadirachtaindica), tulsi (Ocimum sanctum), garlic (Allium sativum), onion (Allium cepa), ginger (Zingiberofficinale) and various fungicides namely mancozeb, propiconazole, hexaconazole, carbendazim, and copper oxychlorideagainst Rhizoctoniasolani in vitro by poison food technique. R. solani was allowed to grow at 5%, 10% concentrations of botanicals and at 200, 500, 1000ppm of fungicides amended potato dextrose agar (PDA) medium. The effect of botanicals and fungicides on mycelial growth inhibition was recorded after 36, 48 and 72 post hrs inoculation (phi). It was observed that bulb extract of Allium sativum and rhizome extract of Zingier officinal suppressed the mycelial growth (80.19 and 76.32, respectively) @ 10% followed by leaf extract of Azadirachtaindica (72.78 %) after 72 phi. Among the fungicides, the complete fungal growth inhibition was observed in propiconazole and carbendazim fungicides amended medium

Pulmonary Capillary Hemangiomatosis: A Rare Cause of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension, Presenting as Supraventricular Tachycardia

With a prevalence of less than 1/million, Pulmonary Capillary Hemangiomatosis is a rare disorder of capillary proliferation in the alveolar septae leading to pulmonary arterial hypertension and mimics pulmonary veno-occlusive disease

Cytogenetic Effects of Individual and Combined Treatment of Cd2+, Cu2+ and Zn2+ in Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczeck

The present investigation has been designed to evaluate the cytogenetic effects of individual treatment of Cd2+ (0.2mg L-1), Cu2+ (6.5, 7.5 and 8.5mg L-1),and Zn2+ (6.3, 7.3 and 8.3mg L-1) and combined treatments of Cd2+ (0.2mg L-1) with Cu2+ (6.5, 7.5 and 8.5mg L-1) and Zn2+ (6.3, 7.3 and 8.3mg L-1) in two cultivars i.e.PDM-139 and K-851 of Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek. The impacts of these doses were measured in terms of germination percentage, plant height, fresh and dry weight of plants, number and weight of root nodules, pollen and seed fertility, mitotic index and mitotic anomalies. The results showed that germination percentage, plant height, fresh and dry weight of plant, number and weight of root nodules, pollen and seed fertility, and mitotic index in both the cultivars were significantly reduced under the influence of all the individual treatment of heavy metals however, mitotic anomalies were enhanced. Cd2+ induced reductions in above mentioned growth parameters were significantly enhanced due to Cu2+ supplementation but such reductions were significantly recovered with Zn2+ supplementation. On the other hand, supplementation of Cu2+ increased the Cd2+ induced mitotic anomalies however Zn2+ supplementation was able to decrease the mitotic anomalies. It is clear from the present study that the individual treatments of Cd2+, Cu2+ and Zn2+ are toxic to both the cultivars of Vigna radiata (L.) and  the toxicity caused by Cd2+ is enhanced by Cu2+ supplementation but recovered by Zn2+ supplementation

A comparative study of granisetrone, dexamethasone and combination of granisetrone-dexamethasone as prophylaxis for postoperative nausea vomiting during laparoscopic surgeries

Background: In laparoscopic surgeries, insufflation with carbon dioxide triggers vagal afferents on the bowel and peritoneum which induces emesis by activating the vomiting center. It is hypothesized that combined antiemetics with different sites of activity would be more effective than one drug alone for the prophylaxis against PONV. So, the present study was planned to compare the efficacy of granisetron, dexamethasone and combination of granisetron with dexamethasone to prevent PONV.Methods: This randomized prospective double-blind study was performed on 120 patients, aged between 18 and 58 years of ASA physical status I and II of either sex undergoing laparoscopic surgeries under general anesthesia. Patients were randomized in three groups, group I (granisetrone 2 mg I.V.), group II (dexamethasone) 8 mg I.V., group III (granisetrone+dexamethasone) 2 mg+8 mg I.V. with 40 patients in each group. Complete response, incidence of nausea, vomiting, and rescue antiemetic were recorded at specified intervals.Results: A complete response (defined as no PONV and no need for another rescue antiemetic) was achieved in 75% of the patients given granisetron, 70% in dexamethasone and in 92.5% of the patients given granisetron plus dexamethasone (P <0.05). The overall cumulative incidences (0-24 hours) of PONV were 10 (25%) in the granisetron, 12 (30%) in the dexamethasone and 3 (7.5%) in the combination group. No difference in adverse events were observed in any of the groups.Conclusions: The prophylactic therapy of granisetron 2 mg plus dexamethasone 8 mg just before induction of anaesthesia is significantly effective in prevention of PONV in patients undergoing laparoscopic surgeries

Quasiparticle dynamics in ferromagnetic compounds of the Co-Fe and Ni-Fe systems

We report a theoretical study of the quasiparticle lifetime and the quasiparticle mean free path caused by inelastic electron-electron scattering in ferromagnetic compounds of the Co-Fe and Ni-Fe systems. The study is based on spin-polarized calculations, which are performed within the $GW$ approximation for equiatomic and Co- and Ni-rich compounds, as well as for their constituents. We mainly focus on the spin asymmetry of the quasiparticle properties, which leads to the spin-filtering effect experimentally observed in spin-dependent transport of hot electrons and holes in the systems under study. By comparing with available experimental data on the attenuation length, we estimate the contribution of the inelastic mean free path to the latter.Comment: 10 pages, 10 figure

Antidiabetic, hypolipidaemic and antioxidant activity of Dodonaea viscosa aerial parts in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats

We evaluated the antidiabetic and antioxidant activity of Dodonaea viscosa in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. The water extract (DVW) and polar fraction of ethanol extract (DVE-4) in a single-dose one-day study showed dose-dependent reduction in glucose levels with maximum effect of 42.16% and 72.9% respectively at 6 h post drug treatment (p&lt;0.001). DVE-4 was more active than DVW and glibenclamide. In a multi-dose fifteen-day study, lower doses of DVW (400 mg/kg) and DVE-4 (200 mg/kg) exhibited higher percentage reduction in glucose levels compared to glibenclamide treated group. Altered levels of lipids, TBARS, non-enzymatic and enzymatic antioxidants were restored by DVW (400 mg/kg) and DVE-4 (200 mg/kg) in diabetic rats. In vitro steady state and time resolved studies reveled that DVW and DVE-4 showed comparable antioxidant ability in steady state and kinetic studies suggesting its possible role in observed antidiabetic and hypolipidaemic activities.Keywords: Antidiabetic, Antioxidant enzymes, Dodonaea viscosa, Free radical scavenger, Hypolipidaemic, Streptozotoci

Can the "brick wall" model present the same results in different coordinate representations?

By using the 't Hooft's "brick wall" model and the Pauli-Villars regularization scheme we calculate the statistical-mechanical entropies arising from the quantum scalar field in different coordinate settings, such as the Painlev\'{e} and Lemaitre coordinates. At first glance, it seems that the entropies would be different from that in the standard Schwarzschild coordinate since the metrics in both the Painlev\'{e} and Lemaitre coordinates do not possess the singularity at the event horizon as that in the Schwarzschild-like coordinate. However, after an exact calculation we find that, up to the subleading correction, the statistical-mechanical entropies in these coordinates are equivalent to that in the Schwarzschild-like coordinate. The result is not only valid for black holes and de Sitter spaces, but also for the case that the quantum field exerts back reaction on the gravitational field provided that the back reaction does not alter the symmetry of the spacetime.Comment: 8 pages, Phys. Rev. D in pres

Identification of risk factors for malaria control by focused interventions in Ranchi district, Jharkhand, India

Background & objectives: Ranchi, the capital of Jharkhand state is endemic for malaria, particularly the Bundu Primary Health Centre (PHC) is the worst affected. Therefore, a study was initiated during 2009 using remote sensing (RS) and geographical information system (GIS) to identify risk factors responsible for high endemicity in this PHC. Methods: Bundu and Angara in Ranchi district were identified as high and low malaria endemic PHCs based on epidemiological data of three years (2007–09). The habitation, streams, other water body, landform, PHC and village boundary thematic maps were prepared using IRS-P6/LISS III-IV imageries and macro level breeding sites were identified. Digital elevation model (DEM) of the PHCs was generated using Cartosat Stereo Pair images and from DEM, slope map was derived to calculate flat area. From slope, aspect map was derived to indicate direction of water flow. Length of perennial streams, area under rocky terrain and buffer zones of 250, 500 and 750 m were constructed around streams. High resolution remote sensing imageries were used to identify micro level breeding sites. Based on macro-micro breeding sites, six villages from each PHC were selected randomly having combination of different parameters representing all ecotypes. Entomological data were collected during 2010–11 in pre- and post-monsoon seasons following standard techniques and analyzed statistically. Differential analysis was attempted to comprehend socioeconomic and other determinants associated with malaria transmission. Results: The study identified eight risk factors responsible for higher malaria endemicity in Bundu in comparison to Angara PHC based on ecological, entomological, socioeconomic and other local parameters. Conclusion: Focused interventions in integrated vector management (IVM) mode are required to be carried out in the district for better management and control of disease

Role of surface roughness in hard x-ray emission from femtosecond laser produced copper plasmas

The hard x-ray emission in the energy range of 30-300 keV from copper plasmas produced by 100 fs, 806 nm laser pulses at intensities in the range of 10$^{15}-10^{16}$ W cm$^{-2}$ is investigated. We demonstrate that surface roughness of the targets overrides the role of polarization state in the coupling of light to the plasma. We further show that surface roughness has a significant role in enhancing the x-ray emission in the above mentioned energy range.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures, to appear in Phys. Rev.