Eighth National Conference of Institute of Scientometrics on “Scholarly Communication and Scientometrics”

Conference Repor

Open access journals in library and information science: a study

Open access spurred by the Internet has brought in new vistas for dissemination of scholarly content in almost all thedisciplines. It has enabled agencies, publishers and individuals to distribute scholarly content online, free from licensingrestrictions and cost. Like other fields, the growth of open access has also benefited the field of library and informationscience (LIS). In this paper an attempt has been made to assess the current status of open access journals in LIS covered inDirectory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) based on various parameters

Internet of Things and libraries

Internet has taken a giant leap forward from ‘Internet of communication’ to ‘Internet of Things’, making it possible to connect objects and transfer data with or without human intervention. This is likely to revolutionize the way we live. Like other service industries, it has a huge potential in betterment of library services. An attempt has been made to explain what is ‘Internet of Things’, the technology and its growth, examples from service industries and deliberate on it’s possible impact on libraries and identify potential library areas where it can be implemented effectively

A 44 year-old lady with chronic renal disease and intractable ulcers: a case report

Calciphylaxis is a rare but potentially fatal condition occurring in patients with end stage renal disease on dialysis. Due to interplay of various factors, disturbances occur in the metabolism of calcium and phosphate leading to calcification within the vessel walls. The net result is tissue ischemia and necrosis. Clinically this presents as painful non-healing skin ulcers, which contribute to significant morbidity and mortality due to septic progression of the lesion. In this case report, we highlight the rapidly progressive nature of this disease, its etiopathogenesis and the role of early diagnosis in preventing life-threatening complications

MOOCs and LIS education: A massive opportunity or challenge

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are revolutionizing the field of higher education by giving a new learningopportunity for aspiring students, faculty and universities in many subject areas including Library and Information Science(LIS). In this paper, an attempt has been made to explain the concept of MOOCs, key players in the field, courses offered inLIS and how best this new medium can be used in improving the quality of LIS education by listing out possible areas ofwork and its impact on LIS education in developing countries

Genetic variation and diversity for grain iron, zinc, protein and agronomic traits in advanced breeding lines of pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.] for biofortification breeding

Genetic improvements of iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn) content in pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.] may reduce the problems of anemia and stunted growth among millet dependent staple food consumers. The availability of variation in diversebreeding lines is essential to improve grain micronutrients in high-yielding cultivars. This study aimed to determine the extent of variability, heritability and diversity for grain Fe, Zn and protein, along with key agronomic traits, in 281 advanced breeding lines bred at ICRISAT and evaluated across two seasons (environments). A pooled analysis of variance displayed significant variation for all these traits. Highest variability was recorded for Fe (35–116 mg kg-1), Zn (21–80 mg kg-1), and protein (6–18%), and a three-fold variation was observed for panicle length, panicle girth and 1000-grain-weight (TGW). Diversity analysis showed 10 clusters. Cluster-III had maximum lines (25%) and Cluster-V showed the highest mean values for Fe, Zn, protein and TGW. These results highlight the success of breeding program that aimed both the maintenance and creation of genetic variability and diversity. A significant positive correlation among Fe, Zn, protein and TGW indicated the potential for simultaneous improvement. Grain yield had a non-significant association with Fe and Zn, while protein showed a negative correlation. These results suggest that significant variability exists in elite-breeding lines, thus highlighting an opportunity to breed for biofortified varieties without compromising on the grain yield. The lines with high Fe, Zn and protein content can be used as hybrid parents and may also help in further genetic investigations

Effect of isogenic-alloplasmic cytoplasmic male sterility system on grain yield traits in pearl millet

Pearl millet is a nutri-cereal and is grown predominantly by subsistence farmers in semi-arid regions of India and Africa. Considering highly cross pollination nature and availability of cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS), pearl millet hybrids are becoming a dominant cultivar type in India. Present study aims to assess the effect of isonucleus-alloplasmic, A1, A4 and A5 cytoplasmic male sterility system on agronomic performance of pearl millet hybrids. Five isogenic females each having 3 alloplasmic (A1, A4 and A5) cytoplasm were crossed with 6 male-parents to generate 120 hybrids and were evaluated in two contrasting season in splitsplit- plot design (SSPD). The significant cytoplasm per se and restorer per se indicate the both contribution to most of the traits, however, greater magnitude of contribution arises from restorers (74% grain yield; 95% 1000-grain weight). The significant hybrids × environment shows the mandatory of multi location testing for yield traits while non-significant of CMS × environment interactions reveals the greater stability of CMS. Further, no significant mean yield differences exhibited in A1, A4 and A5 hybrids (2.53-2.81 t ha-1) indicates not any adverse effect of cytoplasm on grain yield and associated traits. Also, diverse genetic backgrounds used in this study exhibited significant contributions to grain yield and its component traits. These results imply the prospects for utilization of potential alternative cytoplasm (A4 and A5) to widen the cytoplasm base together with development of counterpart restorers to produce future high-yielding hybrids

Genetic diversity analysis among advanced breeding lines in pearl millet for grain iron, zinc and agronomic traits

Evaluation of genetic diversity within breeding populations will help in parents’ diversification and identification of trait-specific inbred sources. Total of 294 inbreds were evaluated for grain iron (Fe), zinc (Zn) and agronomic traits in two contrasting seasons using alpha-lattice field design. There was a significant variability observed for all traits. Three-to-four-fold variability noticed for Fe (31-120 mg kg-1), Zn (19-88 mg kg-1), yield (0.6-2.6 tha-1) and 1000- grain weight (6-16 g 1000-1). The magnitude of genetic coefficient of variation explained by traits were varied in the order of Fe (25%)>Zn>TGW>PL>PH>GY>PG>DF (7%) and heritability (broad sense) was very high as >84% for all traits except grain yield (56%). Nine clusters formed at 90% genetic similarity. Clusters I to IV and VII had higher mean value for Fe density (78-100 mg kg-1) and agronomic traits. Highest number of genotypes grouped in cluster I (63) followed by cluster III (54) having higher yield,1000-grain weight, panicle girth, Fe and Zn. Top-10% of high-Fe lines had significantly higher Fe (64%), Zn (49%), grainweight (29%) and panicle girth (19%) than bottom-10% genotypes. This implies that high- Fe/Zn sources are available with eliteness and can be incorporated into any genetic background without compromising agronomic superiority. Higher heritability and genetic advance as percentage of mean were observed for Fe, Zn and grain-weight suggesting these traits are predominantly determined by additive gene and can be improved through selection

Subcortical nuclei volumes are associated with cognition in children post-convulsive status epilepticus: Results at nine years follow-up

PURPOSE: The purpose of the present study was to investigate the relationship between subcortical nuclei volume and cognition in children with post-convulsive status epilepticus (CSE). METHODS: Structural T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans (Siemens Avanto, 1.5 T) and neuropsychological assessments (full-scale intelligence quotient (FSIQ) and Global Memory Scores (GMS)) were collected from subjects at a mean 8.5 years post-CSE (prolonged febrile seizures (PFS), n = 30; symptomatic/known, n = 28; and other, n = 12) and from age- and sex-matched healthy controls (HC). Subjects with CSE were stratified into those with lower cognitive ability (LCA) (CSE+, n = 22) and those without (CSE-, n = 48). Quantitative volumetric analysis using Functional MRI of the Brain Software Library (FSL) (Analysis Group, FMRIB, Oxford) provided segmented MRI brain volumes. Univariate analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was performed to compare subcortical nuclei volumes across subgroups. Multivariable linear regression was performed for each subcortical structure and for total subcortical volume (SCV) to identify significant predictors of LCA (FSIQ <85) while adjusting for etiology, age, socioeconomic status, sex, CSE duration, and intracranial volume (ICV); Bonferroni correction was applied for the analysis of individual subcortical nuclei. RESULTS: Seventy subjects (11.8 ± 3.4 standard deviation (SD) years; 34 males) and 72 controls (12.1 ± 3.0SD years; 29 males) underwent analysis. Significantly smaller volumes of the left thalamus, left caudate, right caudate, and SCV were found in subjects with CSE+ compared with HC, after adjustment for intracranial, gray matter (GM), or cortical/cerebellar volume. When compared with subjects with CSE-, subjects with CSE+ also had smaller volumes of the left thalamus, left pallidum, right pallidum, and SCV. Individual subcortical nuclei were not associated, but SCV was associated with FSIQ (p = 0.005) and GMS (p = 0.014). Intracranial volume and etiology were similarly predictive. CONCLUSIONS: Nine years post-CSE, SCV is significantly lower in children who have LCA compared with those that do not. However, in this cohort, we are unable to determine whether the relationship is independent of ICV or etiology. Future, larger scale studies may help tease this out