Boiling Study of Nanofluid on Graphene Coated Substrate

A comparative study is done to understand the effect of variation in surface energy of substrates on boiling and dry-out characteristics of nanofluid. Droplet of TiO2 nanofluid on glass substrate shows strong pinning along the droplet perimeter. As the droplet evaporates, boundary of nanofluid droplet recedes slowly towards the center leaving a ring-shaped stain of concentrated nanoparticles. Surface energy of glass substrate is modified by graphene coating, confirmed by increase in contact angle. While boiling of nanofluid on graphene coated glass substrate shows an almost uniform dry-out pattern. Reduced wettability of nanofluid droplet on graphene coated glass substrate is responsible for this behavior

A Compendium of Key Climate Smart Agriculture Practices in Intensive Cereal Based Systems of South Asia

CSA initially proposed by FAO in 2010 at “The Hague Conference on Agriculture, Food Security and Climate Change (CC)”, to address the need for a strategy to manage agriculture and food systems, under climate change. The CSA by its original proponents describes the three objectives; i) sustainably increasing agricultural productivity to support equitable increases in incomes, food security and development; ii) adapting and building resilience to climate change from the farm to national levels; and iii) developing opportunities to reduce GHG emissions from agriculture compared with past trends. Since then, these three objectives (in short food security, adaptation and mitigation) are designated as the three “pillars” (or criteria) of CSA within the agricultural science and development communities. Climate Smart (Sustainable Management of Agricultural Resources and Techniques) Agriculture is an approach of crop production, which deals with the management of available agricultural resources with latest management practices and farm machinery, under a particular set of edaphic and environmental conditions. It works to enhance the achievement of national food security and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). CSA is location specific and tailored to fit the agro-ecological and socio-economic conditions of a location. CSA may be defined as “agriculture that sustainably increases productivity, resilience (adaptation), reduces/removes greenhouse gases (mitigation), and enhances achievement of national food security and development goals.” Therefore, if CSA implemented at right time with required resources, techniques and knowledge in a particular typological domain, will lead towards food security while improving adaptive capacity and mitigating potential for sustainable agriculture production

A decade of climate-smart agriculture in major agri-food systems: Earthworm abundance and soil physico-biochemical properties

Earthworms (EWs) could be a viable indicator of soil biology and agri-food system management. The influence of climate-smart agriculture (CSA)-based sustainable intensification practices (zero tillage, crop rotations, crop residue retention, and precision water and nutrients application) on earthworms’ (EWs) populations and soil physico-biochemical properties of rice-wheat cropping system in the Indo-Gangetic plains of South Asia was investigated. This study investigates the effect of 10-years adoption of various CSA practices on the abundance of earthworms and physical and biochemical properties of the soil and EWs’ casts (EWC). Five scenarios (Sc) were included: conventionally managed rice-wheat system (farmers’ practices, Sc1), CSA-based rice-wheat-mungbean system with flood irrigation (FI) (Sc2) and subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) (Sc3), CSA-based maize-wheat-mungbean system with FI (Sc4), and SDI (Sc5). Results revealed that EWs were absent under Sc1, while the 10-year adoption of CSA-based scenarios (mean of Sc2–5) increased EWs’ density and biomass to be 257.7 no. m−2 and 36.05 g m−2, respectively. CSA-based maize scenarios (Sc4 and Sc5) attained higher EWs’ density and biomass over rice-based CSA scenarios (Sc2 and Sc4). Also, SDI-based scenarios (Sc3 and Sc5) recorded higher EWs’ density and biomass over FI (Sc2 and Sc4). Maize-based CSA with SDI recorded the highest EWs’ density and EWs’ biomass. The higher total organic carbon in EWC (1.91%) than in the bulk soil of CSA-based scenarios (0.98%) and farmers’ practices (0.65%) suggests the shift of crop residue to a stable SOC (in EWC). EWC contained significant amounts of C and available NPK under CSA practices, which were nil under Sc1. All CSA-based scenarios attained higher enzymes activities over Sc1. CSA-based scenarios, in particular, maize-based scenarios using SDI, improved EWs’ proliferation, SOC, and nutrients storage (in soil and EWC) and showed a better choice for the IGP farmers with respect to C sequestration, soil quality, and nutrient availability

Expression of inhibitory markers is increased on effector memory T cells during hepatitis C virus/HIV coinfection as compared to hepatitis C virus or HIV monoinfection

OBJECTIVE: Hepatitis C virus (HCV)/HIV coinfection is associated with rapid progression of hepatic fibrosis and liver disease. T-cell response has been implicated in the pathophysiological outcome of the disease. DESIGN: This study sought to evaluate the role of memory T-cell exhaustion in enhancing immune dysfunction during coinfection. METHODS: Sixty-four patients were included in the study; HCV monoinfected (n = 21), HIV monoinfected (n = 23), HCV/HIV coinfected (n = 20), and healthy controls (n = 20). Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were isolated; immunophenotyped and functional assays were performed. RESULTS: A significant increase in the naive T cells and central memory T cells and a marked reduction in effector memory T cells (TEM) were observed with coinfection as compared to monoinfection. Inhibitory markers programmed death 1 (PD-1) and T-cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain containing molecule 3 (TIM3) were highly upregulated on TEM in coinfection and functionally, these TEM cells displayed lowered proliferation. Increased expression of PD-1 and TIM3 correlated with decreased levels of CD8+CD107a+ TEM cells in coinfection. Pro-inflammatory cytokines interferon-gamma and interleukin-2 (IL-2) secretion by TEM cells were also reduced during chronic viral infection. Secretion of IL-10, a human cytokine synthesis inhibitory factor, was significantly upregulated in CD4 TEM with HCV/HIV coinfection in comparison to HCV monoinfection. CONCLUSION: TEM cells play an important role during viral infection and enhanced expression of inhibitory markers is associated with decreased proliferation and cytotoxicity and increased IL-10 production, which was pronounced in HCV/HIV coinfection. Thus, decreased TEM functionality contributes to diminished host immune responses during HCV/HIV coinfection as compared to HCV or HIV monoinfection

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Not AvailableThis study investigated the thin-layer drying characteristics of bamboo slices in a convective tray dryer with three different temperatures viz., 55, 65 and 75C and fit the experimental data to four drying models to identify the best fit model and drying temperature. The drying rate curves of slices typically demonstrate a smooth diffusion controlled drying behavior. The drying rate at the beginning of the process was generally lower at 55C, with a marked difference between it and the other temperatures. The difference between MRs increased gradually at the commencement of drying and the time required for reaching equilibrium moisture content decreases with increasing temperature. The average value of coefficient of determination (r2) and RMSE revealed values varied between 0.94–0.99 and 0.014–0.073, respectively. Page and logarithmic models obtained the highest r2 and least RMSE at all temperatures and better reflected the drying mechanism of bamboo slices than exponential model. Rehydration ratio elevated when salt solution used for rehydration and the weight gain was more irrespective of temperature. Superior rehydration was noticed when the slices were dried at 65C, and it was relatively poor at 75C and 55C. Products dried at 65C recorded highest scores for visual appearance and colour at the end of drying.Not Availabl

Pituitary adenomas and cerebrovascular disease: A review on pathophysiology, prevalence, and treatment

Pituitary adenomas (PAs) have been shown to cause excess cardiovascular disease comorbidity and mortality. Cerebrovascular disease (CeVD) is a small subset of cardiovascular disease with high morbidity, and its risk in patients with pituitary adenomas has been sparingly explored. In this review, we examine what is known about the prevalence of cerebrovascular disease in patients with PAs, from its initial discovery in 1970 to present. An abundance of literature describes increased cerebrovascular mortality in patients with acromegaly, while research on other PA subtypes is less frequent but shows a similarly elevated CeVD mortality relative to healthy populations. We also review how cerebrovascular risk changes after PAs are treated, with PA treatment appearing to prevent further accumulation of cerebrovascular risk without reversing prior elevations. While acromegaly-associated CeVD appears to be caused by elevated growth hormone (GH) levels and Cushing disease's elevated glucocorticoids similarly cause durable alterations in cerebrovascular structure and function, less is known about the mechanisms behind CeVD in other PA subpopulations. Proposed pathophysiologies include growth hormone deficiency inducing vessel wall damage or other hormone deficits causing increased atherosclerotic disease. Early diagnosis and treatment of PAs may be the key to minimizing lifetime CeVD risk elevations. More research is needed to better understand the mechanisms behind the increased CeVD seen in patients with PAs. Physicians caring for PA patients must remain vigilant for signs and symptoms of cerebrovascular disease in this patient population

Characterization and identification of sources of rust resistance in Triticum militinae derivatives

Abstract Triticum militinae (2n = 4X = 28, AtAtGG), belonging to the secondary gene pool of wheat, is known to carry resistance to many diseases. Though some disease resistance genes were reported from T. timopheevii, the closest wild relative of T. militinae, there are no reports from T. militinae. Twenty-one T. militinae Derivatives (TMD lines) developed at the Division of Genetics, IARI, New Delhi, were evaluated for leaf and stripe rusts at seedling and adult plant stages. Eight TMD lines (6–4, 6–5, 11–6, 12–4, 12–8, 12–12, 13–7 and 13–9) showed seedling resistance to both leaf and stripe rusts while six TMD lines (7–5, 7–6, 11–5, 13–1, 13–3 and 13–4) showed seedling resistance to leaf rust but adult plant resistance to stripe rust and three TMD lines (9–1, 9–2 and 15) showed seedling resistance to leaf rust but susceptibility to stripe rust. Three TMD lines (2–7, 2–8 and 6–1) with adult plant resistance to leaf and stripe rusts were found to carry the known gene Lr34/Yr18. Ten TMD lines (7–5, 7–6, 9–1, 9–2, 11–5, 11–6, 12–12, 12–4, 12–8, and 15) with seedling resistance to leaf rust, showing absence of known genes Lr18 and Lr50 with linked markers requires further confirmation by the test of allelism studies. As not a single stripe rust resistance gene has been reported from T. militinae or its close relative T. timpopheevii, all the 8 TMD lines (6–4, 6–5, 11–6,12–4, 12–8, 12–12, 13–7 and 13–9) identified of carrying seedling resistance to stripe rust and 3 TMD lines (13–1, 13–3 and 13–4) identified of carrying adult plant resistance to stripe rust are expected to carry unknown genes. Also, all the TMD lines were found to be cytologically stable and thus can be used in inheritance and mapping studies

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Not AvailableThe authors have reported the use of nanopolymers for the inhibition of shrimp pathogenic bacteria for aquaculture use. The antimicrobial activity of polyethylene glycols based amphiphilic polymers have different linker molecules such as suberic acid, adipic acid, glutaric acid and dimethyl-5-hydroxyisophthalate on Vibrio harveyi. It was examined by drawing growth curves using optical density measurements. Concentration dependent antimicrobial effects of nanopolymers were tested against V. harveyi which were further confirmed by agar well diffusion for determining minimum inhibitory concentrations. The increased concentrations of nanopolymer effectively reduced the bacterial growth and increased the diameter of inhibition zone. This study has important implications for disease management in coastal aquaculture.Not Availabl