Sweet cherry cultivars influenced the growth and productivity under HDP

In a field experiment, to identify the best sweet cherry varieties for high density orcharding, maximum canopy volume (18.94 cm3) was recorded in variety ‘Steela’ and minimum in ‘Lambert’ while, ‘Bigarreau Napoleon’ had maximum TCSA (213 cm2). Trees grown under HDP have lower TCSA in comparison to normal density. Primary and secondary branch girth were maximum in ‘Bigarreau Napoleon’ whereas, annual extension growth and shoot thickness were high in ‘Steela’. Yield, yield efficiency and cumulative yield efficiency were registered maximum in ‘Bigarreau Napoleon’ and ‘Bigarreau Noir Grossa’ cultivars. Largest fruit weight, fruit length and fruit diameter were found maximum (10.16 g/fruit), (25.51 mm) (25.20 mm) respectively in ‘Bigarreau Napoleon’. Total soluble solids were found maximum in ‘Bigarreau Noir Grossa’ (17.30 0Brix) among the studied cultivars. Correlation matrix showed that TCSA had positive correlation with canopy volume, primary branch girth and secondary branch girth and fruit weight showed positive correlation with fruit length and fruit diameter

AFFECT OF FATIGUE ON ACTIVATION STRATEGY OF MUSCLES: SEMG STUDY

This research aims to identify the neuromotor changes in muscles associated with fatigue during sprint cycling among 11 recreational cyclists who performed the WAT of 30s. The paper reports experiments conducted where changes in muscle recruitment strategies were studied using multiple recordings of SEMG of lower limb muscles and load was kept constant It is observed that near the end of such an exercise, there is a delay in activation / deactivation of the muscles. This causes the agonist muscles to do negative work during the upward part of the pedal cycle and reduces efficiency. It is suggested that if cyclists activated their muscles for shorter durations after they were fatigued, they may increase their output and reduce the stress on their muscles

Diesel price hikes and farmer distress: the myth and the reality

FuelsDiesel oilPricesFarmers attitudesPumpingCostsGroundwater irrigationWellsOwnershipEconomic impactWater productivityFarm incomeMilk production

COLLAGEN FROM SQUID AND ITS BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITY

Collagen is the sole protein found predominantly in the animal kingdom. The main source of collagen which had been land animals previously is being replaced by other alternative sources due to certain health related, religious and social concerns. Thus additional reliable, safer and productive options for collagen extraction have been studied extensively since then. Its wide-ranging application, especially in the biomedical and cosmetic field, is also a basis for its study to have become a topic of interest among the researchers. Isolation of collagen from the processing wastes of marine organisms has been receiving a lot of attention recently due to the promising outcome it brings forth. In the current review, we have focused upon squid, mainly its processing waste, as an alternative source of collagen including the studies carried out on the same to a certain extent

Studies on the Thermodynamics of Exchange in Clays: Part II - Zinc Exchange on Na- & Ca-Illites

929-93

Response of the Arabian Sea to global warming and associated regional climate shift

The response of the Arabian Sea to global warming is the disruption in the natural decadal cycle in the sea surface temperature (SST) after 1995, followed by a secular warming. The Arabian Sea is experiencing a regional climate-shift after 1995, which is accompanied by a five fold increase in the occurrence of “most intense cyclones”. Signatures of this climate-shift are also perceptible over the adjacent landmass of India as: (1) progressively warmer winters, and (2) decreased decadal monsoon rainfall. The warmer winters are associated with a 16-fold decrease in the decadal wheat production after 1995, while the decreased decadal rainfall was accompanied by a decline of vegetation cover and increased occurrence of heat spells. We propose that in addition to the oceanic thermal inertia, the upwelling-driven cooling provided a mechanism that offset the CO2-driven SST increase in the Arabian Sea until 1995

What drives the increased phytoplankton biomass in the Arabian Sea?

The seasonal variability of phytoplankton biomass in the Arabian Sea, though a well researched topic, its inter-annual variability is less explored and understood. Analysis of the satellite-derived chlorophyll pigment concentration in the Arabian Sea during 1997–2007 showed a weak increasing trend. Contrary to the earlier hypothesis, our analysis showed that this increased phytoplankton biomass was not driven by the strengthening winds during summer monsoon. In fact, the basin-averaged chlorophyll concentrations during summer monsoon tend to decline, whereas those in September–October and during the winter monsoon showed an increasing trend. Based on the analysis of wind and aerosol optical thickness data, we attribute the increased phytoplankton biomass during September–October to dust-induced iron fertilization when there is sufficient buildup of nitrate in the upper ocean. During winter, the enhanced evaporative cooling under the strengthening winds led to the increased convective mixing. Subsequent supply of subsurface nutrients to the euphotic zone coupled with the increased dust delivery support the observed increase in phytoplankton biomass during winter

Microsponges: A Promising Novel Drug Delivery System

Microsponge is recent novel technique for control release and target specific drug delivery system. More and more developments in drug delivery systems are being integrated to optimize the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of the therapy. Microsponges are polymeric delivery system containing porous microspheres having a size range from 5 to 300µm. Microsponge Delivery System (MDS) is a unique technology for controlled drug delivery. This review article mainly deals with Microsponge drug delivery along with its method of preparation, characterization, advantages and release mechanism of MDS. Microsponges are characterized by particle size, entrapment efficacy, true density, % drug content and % yield, dissolution studies, Resiliency, compatibility studies and in-vitro studies. Wide range of applications is also preferred to develop drug with enhanced safety and efficacy. Keywords: Microsponge, Porous microspheres, Control release, Colon

Recognition of Facial Movements and Hand Gestures Using Surface Electromyogram(sEMG) for HCI Based Applications

This research reports the recognition of facial move-ments during unvoiced speech and the identification of hand gestures using surface Electromyogram (sEMG). The paper proposes two different methods for identifying facial move-ments and hand gestures, which can be useful for provid-ing simple commands and control to computer, an important application of HCI. Experimental results demonstrate that the features of sEMG recordings are suitable for character-ising the muscle activation during unvoiced speech and sub-tle gestures. The scatter plots from the two methods demon-strate the separation of data for each corresponding vowel and each hand gesture. The results indicate that there is small inter-experimental variation but there are large inter-subject variations. This inter-subject variation may be at-tributable to anatomical differences and different speed and style of speaking for the different subjects. The proposed system provides better results when is trained and tested by individual user. The possible applications of this research include giving simple commands to computer for disabled, developing prosthetic hands, use of classifying sEMG for HCI based systems. 1