Performance of strawberry cultivars in mid hill region of Kullu valley of Himachal Pradesh

The present study was carried out to evaluate the performance of strawberry cultivars in mid hill region of Kullu valley of Himachal Pradesh. For this purpose nine strawberry cultivars viz Addie, Belrubi, Brighton, Chandler, Dana, Etna, Fern, Pajaro and Selva were planted at spacing of 30 x 15 cm in double rows on raised beds of 1m × 3m size at Regional Horticultural Research and Training Station, Bajaura, Kullu, Himachal Pradesh. The experiment was laid out in a Randomized block design. The maximum plant height (16.37cm) was recorded with cv. Belrubi and maximum plant spread was attained by cv. Fern (EW 23.27 cm and NS 21.03 cm), maximum leaf length (16.90 cm) was recorded by cv. Belrubi and minimum (10.00 cm) with cv. Dana. The maximum leaf area was recorded with Chandler (76.03 cm2). The maximum fruit weight (14.93gm), total soluble solids (12.00oB), reducing sugars (5.01%) and total sugars (5.44%) were recorded with cv. Chandler. The maximum fruit yield per plant was observed with cv. Belrubi (996.3g/plant) which was closely followed by cv. Chandler (966.7 g/plant). Thus from the above studies it is concluded that Strawberry cultivars Belrubi and Chandler were best for commercial cultivation in mid hill region of Kullu valley of Himachal Pradesh

Canagliflozin and renal outcomes in type 2 diabetes and nephropathy

BACKGROUND Type 2 diabetes mellitus is the leading cause of kidney failure worldwide, but few effective long-term treatments are available. In cardiovascular trials of inhibitors of sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2), exploratory results have suggested that such drugs may improve renal outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes. METHODS In this double-blind, randomized trial, we assigned patients with type 2 diabetes and albuminuric chronic kidney disease to receive canagliflozin, an oral SGLT2 inhibitor, at a dose of 100 mg daily or placebo. All the patients had an estimated glomerular filtration rate (GFR) of 30 to <90 ml per minute per 1.73 m2 of body-surface area and albuminuria (ratio of albumin [mg] to creatinine [g], >300 to 5000) and were treated with renin–angiotensin system blockade. The primary outcome was a composite of end-stage kidney disease (dialysis, transplantation, or a sustained estimated GFR of <15 ml per minute per 1.73 m2), a doubling of the serum creatinine level, or death from renal or cardiovascular causes. Prespecified secondary outcomes were tested hierarchically. RESULTS The trial was stopped early after a planned interim analysis on the recommendation of the data and safety monitoring committee. At that time, 4401 patients had undergone randomization, with a median follow-up of 2.62 years. The relative risk of the primary outcome was 30% lower in the canagliflozin group than in the placebo group, with event rates of 43.2 and 61.2 per 1000 patient-years, respectively (hazard ratio, 0.70; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.59 to 0.82; P=0.00001). The relative risk of the renal-specific composite of end-stage kidney disease, a doubling of the creatinine level, or death from renal causes was lower by 34% (hazard ratio, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.53 to 0.81; P<0.001), and the relative risk of end-stage kidney disease was lower by 32% (hazard ratio, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.54 to 0.86; P=0.002). The canagliflozin group also had a lower risk of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, or stroke (hazard ratio, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.67 to 0.95; P=0.01) and hospitalization for heart failure (hazard ratio, 0.61; 95% CI, 0.47 to 0.80; P<0.001). There were no significant differences in rates of amputation or fracture. CONCLUSIONS In patients with type 2 diabetes and kidney disease, the risk of kidney failure and cardiovascular events was lower in the canagliflozin group than in the placebo group at a median follow-up of 2.62 years

Adsorptive Separation of CO₂ from Multicomponent Mixtures of Flue Gas in Carbon Nanotube Arrays: A Grand Canonical Monte Carlo Study

Grand canonical Monte Carlo (GCMC) simulations have been performed to investigate the adsorption and separation behavior of ternary and quaternary gaseous mixtures of CO₂, along with H₂S, SO₂, and N₂, in bundles of aligned double-walled carbon nanotubes with a diameter of 3 nm and an intertube distance of 0.5 nm. All of the simulations are performed at 303 K and at pressures varying between 0 and 3 bar. The GCMC results are then compared to the ideal adsorbed solution theory (IAST) predictions. For the ternary mixture H₂S–CO₂–N₂, the results show that CO₂ has the highest adsorption among the three components. The IAST predictions agree reasonably well with the GCMC data for the ternary mixture, except for H₂S. For the quaternary mixture H₂S–SO₂–CO₂–N₂, it is observed that initially CO₂ has the highest adsorption up until around 2 bar, whereafter there is a crossover by SO₂ to have the highest adsorption. IAST fails to predict the adsorption behavior of the quaternary mixture involving SO₂

Not Available

Not AvailableA 60-day experiment was conducted to evaluate the nutritional potential of fermented sweet potato leaf meal (FSPLM) in the diet of Labeo rohita fingerlings. Solid-state fermentation of SPLM with fungus, Chaetomium globosum was exhibited an increase in the crude protein of SPLM from 21.47% to 31.20% concomitant with decreased crude fibre content from 19.43% to 7.22%. Moreover, anti-nutritional factors such as tannin, phytic acid, trypsin inhibitor, oxalates, alkaloid and hydrogen cyanide HCN were decreased up to 64.95%, 57.51%, 15.31%, 37.32%, 50.00% and 61.70%, respectively. Four iso-nitrogenous (35% crude protein) and iso-caloric (421 kcal GE 100 g-1) experimental diets were formulated to substitute the deoiled rice bran with FSPLM viz. Control (0% DORB substitution), SPLM10 (33.33% DORB substitution), SPLM20 (66.67% DORB substitution) and SPLM30 (100% DORB substitution). Growth performance (weight gain% and specific growth rate), feed conversion (feed conversion ratio, feed efficiency ratio and protein efficiency ratio) indices and body composition of L. rohita fingerlings were used as response parameters for dietary treatments. Significantly higher growth rates in L. rohita fingerlings were reported in SPLM10, SPLM20 and SPLM30 groups than the control (p0.05) the feed intake in L. rohita fingerlings. Feed conversion indices did not vary with dietary treatment groups (p>0.05). Whole body composition of L. rohita fingerlings was found to be independent of dietary treatment groups (p>0.05). Therefore, it can be concluded that the fermented sweet potato leaf meal can substitute 100% de-oiled ricebran in the diet of Labeo rohita fingerlings without any adverse effect on growth performance, feed conversion and whole body composition.Not Availabl

Journal of Animal Research

Not AvailableBiswal, A., Srivastava, P.P., Gupta, S., Jayant, M. and Varghese, T., 2020. Study on alteration of critical water quality parameters and selected metabolic response of Labeo rohita fingerling subjected to transportation stress. Journal of Animal Research, 10(4), pp.563-568

Real world evidence studies: Perspective on study design and regulatory framework for RWE

<p>There is a growing need for broader information on Real-World Effectiveness and safety of any new intervention, service or protocol vs data limited by standardized and strictly controlled environment like in a RCT. RWE studies gives the freedom for analysis based on a varied and diverse database. As Real-World Studies gain higher acceptance, it is important to understand the types of RWE studies and design that can be used. Data from real-world patient experience has the potential to improve the quality and delivery of medical care, impact overall costs and outcomes. This review helps understand study designs, issues, and its implications in improving medical services. Though the RWE is challenged by diversity of information, large data sets of uncertain quality, and methodological rigor, however if utilized properly has potential to shape policies, protocols and develop programs to implement best practices.RWE has many issues including Legal, technological, data privacy, transparency, and standardization. These challenges can be and necessarily need to be addressed while planning the RWE which would then vastly enhance the acceptance of the evidence generated by RWE. Several researchers, professional societies, government agencies and multi-stakeholder initiatives  worldwide have disseminated guidance, framework, and standards in this aspect which can address gaps in data standardization and improve the quality of RWD</p&gt

Assess the Effectiveness of an Inquiry Based Learning Method in Microbiology for Undergraduate Medical Students

Two hours practical session in Microbiology for II MBBS students is most of the time monotonous, vague, teacher centric and not utilized time qualitatively by teaching faculty in conventional method. Inquiry-based learning is a form of active learning that starts by posing questions, problems or scenariosrather than simply presenting established facts or portraying a smooth path to knowledge. To determine the student’s performance & effectiveness of inquiry-based learning method over traditional practical method by comparing once. To study students’ and faculty perceptions about inquiry based learning (IBL) method Prospective interventional analytical study was conducted for II MBBS students in department of Microbiology for four months. After Ethical committee approval and informed consent randomized selected 100 students of II MBBS divided into two batches; one for didactic practical and one for interactive new inquiry based teaching learning method. Four topics ( Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, Corynebacterium and M. tuberculosis) selected with 15 days interval from regular departmental teaching schedule. Structured the inquiry based questions to cover entire topic, post test papers and feedback forms and validated prior to start the study. Two hrs practical sessions divided into four parts. First half an hour introduction of the topic as routine didactic method, next half an hour we distributed the questions among students and told them to read, discuss and collect the information from the books or any other sources. Next half an hour discussed the questions and last half an hour conducted short test of 20 marks. Average score in tests was considered for analysis. Mean score was calculated and unpaired t test was applied. P value less than 0.05 was considered statistical significance. Students’ and faculty perceptions about inquiry based learning (IBL) method determined by taking questionnaire based feedback using Likert scale at the end of all four sessions. Mean score for topic Staphylococcus taken in traditional way was 9.02 with SD of 2.3 and that taken by the interactive inquiry based learning method was 14.6 with SD of 2.8 and t value 11.1. Mean score for topic Streptococcus taken in traditional way was 8.94 with SD of 2.6 and that taken by the interactive inquiry based learning method was 14.6 with SD of 2.9 and t value 10.2. Mean score for topic Corynebacterium taken in traditional way was 9.48 with SD of 2.4 and that taken by the interactive inquiry based learning method was 14.0 with SD of 2.7 and t value 8.8. Mean score for topic M. tuberculosis taken in traditional way was 9.38 with SD of 2.7 and that taken by the interactive inquiry based learning method was 14.2 with SD of 3.0 and t value 8.4. Improvement in the performance of the students was observed. Mean score was statistically significant (p value is 0.001) in all four topics conducted by interactive inquiry based learning method. Approximately 90% students agreed that the topic better taught in interactive inquiry based learning method and wanted to have more of such sessions.A positive feedback was received from the students and faculty members stated that the inquiry based learning method was very interesting and effective. The students were more alert, interested and receptive in the session. It helps how to utilized two hours practical time that enhance the interest of students and session become more interactive and informative. Student liked the method as it increases the interaction between teacher and students. It helps in integration of concepts and development of thinking skill. IBL method simplified and clarified concepts the topic, increased receptivity and questions increased attention span. It improves the confidence of teacher as well as students2.The study proved that inquiry based learning method is more effective than didactic method to understand the topic. Strengthen quality of teaching learning. Learners are encouraged to participate and interact

Aquaculture

Not AvailableTransportation of fingerlings to a geographically distant culture system is an extremely stressful event that ultimately hinders the success of culture practices in India. Therefore, the present study aims to evaluate the stress mitigatory potency of NaCl during long-term transportation of Labeo rohita fingerlings based on biochemical profiles, hydromineral characteristic, and hepatic HSP70 mRNA expression. Simulated transportation of L. rohita fingerlings were carried out for 12 h in four treatments of NaCl solution (0.2, 0.4, 0.6 and 0.8% NaCl) along with in non-supplemented control group in triplicate. Serum and tissue sampling were carried out before the transportation (0 h, 1st day), immediately after transportation (12 h, 2nd day), on 3rd day (36 h) and 7th day (168 h) post transportation. Integrated biomarker response (IBR) index is calculated for selected biomarkers such as cortisol, serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase (SGPT), triglyceride, creatinine in serum and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), malate dehydrogenase (MDH), G-6 phosphatase in tissues at each treatment and control. The result showed a significant change in the level of the stress hormone cortisol, serum ionic concentration, enzymes (SGPT, LDH, MDH), and metabolites (triglyceride, creatinine) along with an upregulation in liver HSP70 mRNA expression. The level of total ammonia?nitrogen was found to be significantly (p < 0.05) higher in control (T0) fishes in comparison to treatments after transportation. IBR index reveals that 0.4% NaCl exhibited the lowest multi-biomarker stress response compared to other treatments and control. Further, a significantly highest survivability was observed in 0.4% NaCl on 7th day post-transportation. Therefore, using of 0.4% salt as a water additive will provide a solution to transportation induced stress problems in L. rohita fingerling and underwrite the success and progress of grow-out fish culture in days to come

Mixed leaf meal supplemented with exogenous enzyme and limiting amino acids can completely replace DORB (de-oiled rice bran) in the diet of

Various single leaf meal can substitute costly de-oiled rice bran (DORB) in farm made feed for carps. However, the use of mixed leaf meal (LM) in fish feed is not reported yet. Therefore, Vigna mungo, Ipomoea aquatica and Hygrophila spinosa leaf meals were blended in an equal proportion to prepare LM. DORB was the major energy source in control diet (C) and LM substituted 50% and 100% of DORB in LM20 and LM40 experimental diets, respectively. In addition, control diet (C), LM20 and LM40 diets were supplemented with limiting amino acids and exogenous carbohydrases and denoted as CE, LM20E and LM40E, respectively. Labeo rohita fingerlings were fed till satiation for 60 days. Fish fed with LM20E diet exhibited maximum growth rates and feed conversion (p 0.05). Amylase and aminotransferase activities were positively related with growth indices (p 0.05) while lower superoxide dismutase activities was observed in LM fed groups (p < 0.05). The present study concluded that LM up to 400 g kg–1 could be incorporated as complete DORB replacer in L. rohita diet, however, 200 g kg–1 LM supplemented with 0.98 g L-lysine kg–1 and 1 g exogenous enzyme kg–1 registered the best growth, nutrient utilization, feed conversion ratio, physio-metabolic responses and hematological status