Effect of pattern and severity of moisture deficit stress on stalk rot incidence in Sorghum I. Use of line source irrigation technique, and the effect of time of inoculation

Water deficit occurring after flowering in sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] predisposes the crop to stalk rot, mainly due to infection by the charcoal rot causal fungus Macrophomina phaseolina (Tassi) Goid., resulting in lodging. The line source (LS) sprinkler irrigation technique which produces a gradient of water deficit stress due to decreasing amount of water supply with increasing distance from the sprinkler line was used to study the relationships between applied water levels, time of inoculation and the degree of charcoal rot incidence. Grain yields were reduced in proportion to the deficit in water supply along the gradient, whereas the incidence of charcoal rot increased. Inoculation with the fungus increased the incidence of disease when natural incidence was low. Sorghum was more susceptible to disease during the later stages of grain filling than during the period immediately after flowering. The rows of plants farthest from the LS, which received the least irrigation, showed disease incidence earlier than those nearest, which were better watered. This was apparent for each of the three different, but highly correlated, parameters of disease spread: percentage of soft stalks; number of nodes crossed; and the length of fungal spread (cm). It is concluded that the LS is an effective method to study the quantitative relationship between severity of water stress and the degree of charcoal rot incidence during rainfree dry seasons

Psychosocial impact of undergoing prostate cancer screening for men with BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations.

OBJECTIVES: To report the baseline results of a longitudinal psychosocial study that forms part of the IMPACT study, a multi-national investigation of targeted prostate cancer (PCa) screening among men with a known pathogenic germline mutation in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes. PARTICPANTS AND METHODS: Men enrolled in the IMPACT study were invited to complete a questionnaire at collaborating sites prior to each annual screening visit. The questionnaire included sociodemographic characteristics and the following measures: the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Impact of Event Scale (IES), 36-item short-form health survey (SF-36), Memorial Anxiety Scale for Prostate Cancer, Cancer Worry Scale-Revised, risk perception and knowledge. The results of the baseline questionnaire are presented. RESULTS: A total of 432 men completed questionnaires: 98 and 160 had mutations in BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, respectively, and 174 were controls (familial mutation negative). Participants' perception of PCa risk was influenced by genetic status. Knowledge levels were high and unrelated to genetic status. Mean scores for the HADS and SF-36 were within reported general population norms and mean IES scores were within normal range. IES mean intrusion and avoidance scores were significantly higher in BRCA1/BRCA2 carriers than in controls and were higher in men with increased PCa risk perception. At the multivariate level, risk perception contributed more significantly to variance in IES scores than genetic status. CONCLUSION: This is the first study to report the psychosocial profile of men with BRCA1/BRCA2 mutations undergoing PCa screening. No clinically concerning levels of general or cancer-specific distress or poor quality of life were detected in the cohort as a whole. A small subset of participants reported higher levels of distress, suggesting the need for healthcare professionals offering PCa screening to identify these risk factors and offer additional information and support to men seeking PCa screening

Stability Indicating HPLC Method for Simultaneous Determination of Mephenesin and Diclofenac Diethylamine

A simple, specific, accurate and stability-indicating reversed phase high performance liquid chromatographic method was developed for the simultaneous determination of mephenesin and diclofenac diethylamine, using a Spheri-5-RP-18 column and a mobile phase composed of methanol: water (70:30, v/v), pH 3.0 adjusted with o-phosphoric acid. The retention times of mephenesin and diclofenac diethylamine were found to be 3.9 min and 14.5 min, respectively. Linearity was established for mephenesin and diclofenac diethylamine in the range of 50-300 μg/ml and 10-60 μg/ml, respectively. The percentage recoveries of mephenesin and diclofenac diethylamine were found to be in the range of 99.06-100.60% and 98.95-99.98%, respectively. Both the drugs were subjected to acid, alkali and neutral hydrolysis, oxidation, dry heat, photolytic and UV degradation. The degradation studies indicated, mephenesin to be susceptible to neutral hydrolysis, while diclofenac diethylamine showed degradation in acid, H2O2, photolytic and in presence of UV radiation. The degradation products of diclofenac diethylamine in acidic and photolytic conditions were well resolved from the pure drug with significant differences in their retention time values. This method can be successfully employed for simultaneous quantitative analysis of mephenesin and diclofenac diethylamine in bulk drugs and formulations