Nutritional attributes, bioactive components and overall acceptability of pineapple grown under different farming system

Nutritional attributes, bioactive components and sensory qualities of pineapple (kew variety) grown under fertilizer based and traditional (organic by default) farming system were determined and compared in this study. The results revealed that organically grown (without adding any chemical inputs as per traditional practices) pineapple had significantly higher bioactive components (vitamin c and total soluble phenolics ranging from 23.19 % to 24.04 % and 28.69 mg/100g FW to 29.54 mg/100g fresh weight (FW) respectively for organically grown fruits and 19.84% to 20.01% and 21.32 mg/100g FW to 21.93 mg/100g FW respectively in conventionally grown in fruits). The study also reports that the organically grown pineapples had significantly higher overall acceptability (4.5 and 4.3 in 2013 and 2014 respectively) and popularity (4.26 and 4.32 in 2013 and 2014 respectively) as compared to the pineapples grown under conventional farming system using fertilizers (2.8 overall acceptability in 2013 and 2014; 2.96 and 2.86 popularity in 2013 and 2014 respectively)

A framework for the architecture of exoplanetary systems. I. Four classes of planetary system architecture

We present a novel, model-independent framework for studying the architecture of an exoplanetary system at the system level. This framework allows us to characterise, quantify, and classify the architecture of an individual planetary system. Our aim in this endeavour is to generate a systematic method to study the arrangement and distribution of various planetary quantities within a single planetary system. We propose that the space of planetary system architectures be partitioned into four classes: similar, mixed, anti-ordered, and ordered. We applied our framework to observed and synthetic multi-planetary systems, thereby studying their architectures of mass, radius, density, core mass, and the core water mass fraction. We explored the relationships between a system's (mass) architecture and other properties. Our work suggests that: (a) similar architectures are the most common outcome of planet formation; (b) internal structure and composition of planets shows a strong link with their system architecture; (c) most systems inherit their mass architecture from their core mass architecture; (d) most planets that started inside the ice line and formed in-situ are found in systems with a similar architecture; and (e) most anti-ordered systems are expected to be rich in wet planets, while most observed mass ordered systems are expected to have many dry planets. We find, in good agreement with theory, that observations are generally biased towards the discovery of systems whose density architectures are similar, mixed, or anti-ordered. This study probes novel questions and new parameter spaces for understanding theory and observations. Future studies may utilise our framework to not only constrain the knowledge of individual planets, but also the multi-faceted architecture of an entire planetary system. We also speculate on the role of system architectures in hosting habitable worlds.Comment: 28 pages, 19 figures, accepted in A&

A Comprehensive Overview Of Biological Aspects Of Plasmodium Knowlesi

Plasmodium knowlesi, originally known to cause simian malaria, is now recognized as the fifth human malarial parasite; in addition to P. vivax, P.alciparum, P. malariae & P. ovale. It is predominant in South East (SE) Asian Countries like Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Myanmar, Singapore, Brunei, and Philippines. However, until recently, its prevalence was miniscule in India. A recent report from Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India, revealed presence of P. knowlesi-specific gene sequences in 53 out of 445 cases scanned for malarial parasites. The life cycle of the parasite, like its other counterparts, requires infection of both a mosquito and a warm-blooded host. The present review provides a detailed overview of the parasite, its life cycle, prevalence and its comparisons with other Plasmodium species. In addition, a comparison is drawn at the genomic and genetic level to provide an in-depth understanding of the parasite’s unique characteristics. The cyto-adhering properties and antigenic variants of Plasmodium knowlesi are also discussed

A framework for the architecture of exoplanetary systems. II. Nature versus nurture: Emergent formation pathways of architecture classes

In the first paper of this series, we proposed a model-independent framework for characterising the architecture of planetary systems at the system level. There are four classes of planetary system architecture: similar, mixed, anti-ordered, and ordered. In this paper, we investigate the formation pathways leading to these four architecture classes. To understand the role of nature versus nurture in sculpting the final (mass) architecture of a system, we apply our architecture framework to synthetic planetary systems -- formed via core-accretion -- using the Bern model. General patterns emerge in the formation pathways of the four architecture classes. Almost all planetary systems emerging from protoplanetary disks whose initial solid mass was less than one Jupiter mass are similar. Systems emerging from heavier disks may become mixed, anti-ordered, or ordered. Increasing dynamical interactions (planet-planet, planet-disk) tends to shift a system's architecture from mixed to anti-ordered to ordered. Our model predicts the existence of a new metallicity-architecture correlation. Similar systems have very high occurrence around low-metallicity stars. The occurrence of the anti-ordered and ordered classes increases with increasing metallicity. The occurrence of mixed architecture first increases and then decreases with increasing metallicity. In our synthetic planetary systems, the role of nature is disentangled from the role of nurture. Nature (or initial conditions) pre-determines whether the architecture of a system becomes similar; otherwise nurture influences whether a system becomes mixed, anti-ordered, or ordered. We propose the `Aryabhata formation scenario' to explain some planetary systems which host only water-rich worlds. We finish this paper with a discussion of future observational and theoretical works that may support or refute the results of this paper.Comment: 12 pages, 5 figures, accepted in A&

DESIGN OF A CANARD-WING UAV

In this project, we intend to design a Canard wing-based Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), which can carry a wide range of missions, providing capabilities to handle our challenges with sophisticated care. Canard-based UAV is the latest trend in aviation technology designed for the use case of providing better maneuverability, which in result gives the UAV new capabilities, such as increased time for data gathering, transferring, and autonomous behavior. The basic disciplines like Aerodynamics, Engineering design, Flight dynamics, Propulsion, and Performance are carried out during the UAV designing process. The proposed methodology applied in this project is weight estimation, initial sizing, aerofoil and wing geometry, fuselage sizing, tail sizing, T/W ratio, aerodynamics, and performance analysis. The design of Canard Based UAV leads to a deeper understanding of the trade-off studies of the UAV and is demonstrated by optimizing for designed missions like surveillance. A drafted sketch is presented at the end of the design phase featuring the selected configurations of major components

Analysis of Selective-Decode and Forward Relaying Protocol over κ-µ Fading Channel Distribution, Journal of Telecommunications and Information Technology, 2020, nr 1

In this work, the performance of selective-decode and forward (S-DF) relay systems over κ-µ fading channel conditions is examined in terms of probability density function (PDF), system model and cumulative distribution function (CDF) of the κ-µ distributed envelope, signal-to-noise ratio and the techniques used to generate samples that rely on κ-µ distribution. Specifically, we consider a case where the sourceto-relay, relay-to-destination and source-to-destination link is subject to independent and identically distributed κ-µ fading. From the simulation results, the enhancement in the symbol error rate (SER) with a stronger line of sight (LOS) component is observed. This shows that S-DF relaying systems may perform well even in non-fading or LOS conditions. Monte Carlo simulations are conducted for various fading parameter values and the outcomes turn out to be a close match for theoretical results, which validates the derivations mad

Deciphering growth abilities of fusarium oxysporum f. sp. pisi under variable temperature, pH and nitrogen

Fusarium wilt caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. pisi (Fop) is an important disease and major obstacle to pea production, causing huge losses to growers. The focus of this study was on isolation followed by morphological, molecular characterization and analyzing the growth of the casual agent under variable temperature, pH and Nitrogen levels. The morphological features of radial growth, sporulation, pigmentation and mycelial characterization were examined and the variability of all isolates was presented. Molecular characterization of the fungus by ITS rDNA sequencing revealed that all 13 isolates belong to Fusarium oxysporum species. Six isolates were tested for temperature, pH and nitrogen dosage optimization studies. Seven different temperatures, viz., 21, 23, 25, 27, 29, 31, 33°C and pH values, having 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 pH, as well as nitrogen dosage levels of 0 g, 3 g, 5 g, 7 g, 9 g, 11 g, and 13 g were tested against all six isolates, respectively. The results showed that all isolates exhibited the highest growth at a temperature of 25°C and the optimal temperature range for growth of Fusarium oxysporum was 23–27°C. All isolates showed the highest growth at pH5. Change in the nitrogen doses of the base ended in formation of thick, dense, fluffy mycelium of the casual agent. Six isolates were used for combination studies with seven different levels of temperatures, pH levels and nitrogen dosages. The density plots revealed the variations in the growth of the isolates with changes in temperature, pH and nitrogen levels, which can lead to mutations or genetic changes in the pathogens that could potentially introduce new threats to pea cultivation

Three low-mass companions around aged stars discovered by TESS

We report the discovery of three transiting low-mass companions to aged stars: a brown dwarf (TOI-2336b) and two objects near the hydrogen burning mass limit (TOI-1608b and TOI-2521b). These three systems were first identified using data from the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS). TOI-2336b has a radius of $1.05\pm 0.04\ R_J$, a mass of $69.9\pm 2.3\ M_J$ and an orbital period of 7.71 days. TOI-1608b has a radius of $1.21\pm 0.06\ R_J$, a mass of $90.7\pm 3.7\ M_J$ and an orbital period of 2.47 days. TOI-2521b has a radius of $1.01\pm 0.04\ R_J$, a mass of $77.5\pm 3.3\ M_J$ and an orbital period of 5.56 days. We found all these low-mass companions are inflated. We fitted a relation between radius, mass and incident flux using the sample of known transiting brown dwarfs and low-mass M dwarfs. We found a positive correlation between the flux and the radius for brown dwarfs and for low-mass stars that is weaker than the correlation observed for giant planets.Comment: 20 pages, 13 figures; submitted to MNRA