Cross Cultural Leadership in Higher Educational Institutions – A Study with Special Reference to Muscat, Sultanate of Oman

This paper focuses on need and role of a Leader by exploring which one would be the most suited Leadership style in the cross cultural context for Higher Educational Institutions in Oman. The Leadership style explored and studied in this paper is - Transformational and Distributive Leadership styles. The paper highlights the Leadership roles of Heads of the institution for transformation in the cross cultural context. Keywords: Cross cultural context, Transformational and Distributive Leadershi

Primera cita de Botrytis cinerea sobre Lilium polyphyllum, especie en peligro de extinción en Uttarakhand, India

Dhyani, A. High Altitude Plant Physiology Research Centre. Srinagar, Pauri Garhwal, Uttarakhand, India.Nautiyal, B. P. Department of Horticulture. Aromatic and Medicinal Plant, Mizoram University, Aizawl, India.Nautiyal, M. C. High Altitude Plant Physiology Research Centre. Srinagar, Pauri Garhwal, Uttarakhand, India.Rivera, Marta Carolina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Agronomía. Departamento de Producción Vegetal. Cátedra de Fitopatología. Buenos Aires, Argentina.Prasad, D. University of Agriculture and Technology. College of Forestry and Hill Agriculture.Plant Pathology Section. Ranichauri, India.Singh, K. P. University of Agriculture and Technology. College of Forestry and Hill Agriculture.Plant Pathology Section. Ranichauri, India.157-159Lilium polyphyllum es una planta herbácea que se encuentra en estado de peligro en ambientes naturales de Uttarakhand, India. La enfermedad conocida como moho gris fue detectada sobre esta especie desde Julio a Agosto (2008-2009) causando muerte de inflorescencias y varas. Botrytis cinerea fue aislado consistentemente de inflorescencias. Su patogenicidad fue confirmada mediante inoculación de plantas de L. polyphyllum cultivadas en macetas en un invernáculo. Como resultado, se cita a Botrytis cinerea por primera vez como causante de moho gris sobre Lilium polyphyllum en India, cuyos síntomas son tizón de flores y varas. Esta enfermedad puede afectar seriamente a este hospedante en riesgo durante su estado reproductivo. A nuestro entender, no existe otro antecedente de B. cinerea sobre este hospedante

Rare isolation of Leclercia adecarboxylata in a child with pneumonia: Case report and review of literature

Leclercia adecarboxylata is a Gram-negative flagellated bacilli named after Leclerc, who first described it in 1962. Isolation of thisorganism from body fluids is rare. Although it has been reported in immunocompromised individuals and nosocomial infections,pneumonia due to this organism is still rare. We report a case of 13 months old, previously healthy immunocompetent child, withcommunity-acquired pneumonia due to L. adecarboxylata

A Review on Physical, Chemical and Optical Properties of Liquid Crystal

The foundation of the upcoming generation of cutting-edge gadgets and digitally augmented technologies is expected to be smart soft materials. Because of their responsiveness and adaptability, liquid crystals (LCs) are promising smart soft materials. In the 20th century, LCs were crucial to changing the information display sector. However, several beyond-display uses for LCs have been proven at the turn of the twentieth century, neatly using their controlled stimuli-responsive and adaptable properties. New LC materials have been developed and engineered for such applications. The review comes close with a summary and viewpoints on the potential and problems facing LCs as smart soft materials. This review is expected to inspire a wide range of concepts for the application of nature's delicate phase of matter in the generation and beyond of smart and augmented devices

Ecological features and traditional knowledge of Roscoea alpina Royle a medicinal plant in Himalaya

167-173Roscoea alpina Royle (Zingiberaceae) commonly known as Kakoli is a perennial medicinal plant endemic to the Himalayas. It has been used in vitality strengthening Ayurveda groups i.e., Astavarga and Jeevaniyagana and in preparation of Ayurvedic formulations e.g., Chyavanprasha and Divya Pidantak Tail. Considering its medicinal uses, high demand and overexploitation, natural habitats were surveyed in subalpine and alpine regions of Garhwal Himalaya for population estimation and to identify elite germplasm. R. alpina frequency was recorded more than 60% in Tungnath, Dayara, Valley of Flowers and Kedarnath populations. However, plant density and area occupied were low compared to other species of subalpine and alpine site. For threat category assessment, IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria were used and conservation status was assigned, based on site to site and for entire Garhwal region of the Western Himalaya. R. alpina, based on extent of occurrence was categorized as Vulnerable and based on number of mature individuals as Endangered for the Garhwal Himalaya. Further, habitat destruction and degradation were the major threats for population reduction in the wild. Morphological variation revealed plants from Tungnath and Kedarnath may be used for future propagation and domestication programs

Rational Design of Transparent Nanowire Architectures with Tunable Geometries for Preventing Marine Fouling

Marine biofouling is a sticky global problem that hinders maritime industries. Various microscale surface structures inspired by marine biological species have been explored for their anti- fouling properties. However, systematic studies of anti- marine- fouling performance on surface architectures with characteristic length- scales spanning from below 100 nm to greater than 10 µm are generally lacking. Herein, a study on the rational design and fabrication of ZnO/Al2O3 core- shell nanowire architectures with tunable geometries (length, spacing, and branching) and surface chemistry is presented. The ability of the nanowires to significantly delay or prevent marine biofouling is demonstrated. Compared to planar surfaces, hydrophilic nanowires can reduce fouling coverage by up to - 60% after 20 days. The fouling reduction mechanism is mainly due to two geometric effects: reduced effective settlement area and mechanical cell penetration. Additionally, superhydrophobic nanowires can completely prevent marine biofouling for up to 22 days. The nanowire surfaces are transparent across the visible spectrum, making them applicable to windows and oceanographic sensors. Through the rational control of surface nano- architectures, the coupled relationships between wettability, transparency, and anti- biofouling performance are identified. It is envisioned that the insights gained from the work can be used to systematically design surfaces that reduce marine biofouling in various industrial settings.Core- shell nanowire architectures with tunable geometries (length, spacing, and branching) and surface chemistry are shown to significantly delay marine biofouling. The fouling reduction mechanism is mainly due to the two effects: reduced effective settlement area and mechanical biocide. The insights gained from the work can be used to systematically design surfaces that reduce marine biofouling in various industrial settings.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/162819/3/admi202000672-sup-0001-SuppMat.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/162819/2/admi202000672_am.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/162819/1/admi202000672.pd

Impact of water management interventions on hydrology and ecosystem services in Garhkundar-Dabar watershed of Bundelkhand region, Central India

Bundelkhand region of Central India is a hot spot of water scarcity, land degradation, poverty and poor socio-economic status. Impacts of integrated watershed development (IWD) interventions on water balance and different ecosystem services are analyzed in one of the selected watershed of 850 ha in Bundelkhand region. Improved soil, water and crop management interventions in Garhkundar-Dabar (GKD) watershed of Bundelkhand region in India enhanced ET to 64% as compared to 58% in untreated (control) watershed receiving 815 mm annual average rainfall. Reduced storm flow (21% vs. 34%) along with increased base flow (4.5% vs. 1.2%) and groundwater recharge (11% vs. 7%) of total rainfall received were recorded in treated watershed as compared to untreated control watershed. Economic Water productivity and total income increased from 2.5 to 5.0 INR m-3 and 11500 to 27500 INR ha-1 yr-1 after implementing integrated watershed development interventions in GKD watershed, respectively. Moreover IWD interventions helped in reducing soil loss more than 50% compared to control watershed. The results demonstrated that integrated watershed management practices addressed issues of poverty in GKD watershed. Benefit to cost ratio of project interventions was found three and pay back period within four years suggest economic feasibility to scale-up IWD interventions in Bundelkhend region. Scaling-up of integrated watershed management in drought prone rainfed areas with enabling policy and institutional support is expected to promote equity and livelihood along with strengthening various ecosystem services, however, region-specific analysis is needed to assess trade-offs for downstream areas along with onsite impact

\u3cem\u3e Albizia procera\u3c/em\u3e Based Silvipastoral System: An Ideal Alternate Land Use System for Sustainable Forage Production in Semi-Arid Region

India’s economy is agro-based and about 69% of the total population depends on it for their livelihood (GoI, 2013). Livestock is the integral component of Indian agriculture since time immemorial. Its contribution to national economy through milk, meat, wool as well as farmyard manure is enormous. India has the largest number of livestock, representing over 17% of the world. Among four important species of livestock, cattle represent over 43% of the population followed by buffaloes (19%), goats (26%) and sheep (10%). The share of livestock reared is highest in marginal followed by small and semi-medium land holders implying that marginal holders and small land holders are playing seminal role in development of livestock sector in country. The productivity of livestock and growth of animal husbandry are closely linked with the biomass and quality of forages. Currently there has been radical change in realising the importance of forages in integrated farming system, crop diversification, watershed management, restoration of degraded lands and climate resilient agriculture. Grasslands represent some 70% of global agricultural land area; unfortunately as much as 35% of the grasslands are degraded. The insufficient fodder availability has adversely affected all the three systems of livestock production. Silvipasture systems is an integrated approach of growing ideal combinations of grasses, legumes and trees for higher land productivity, conserving biodiversity and nutrients and producing forage, timber and firewood from a single unit area on a sustainable basis. The trees and shrubs used in silvipasture are used primarily to produce fodder for livestock. Looking at the enormous production potential of the slivipastoral systems, it is pertinent to introduce these in the arid and semi-arid regions so that large area of wasteland which is not suitable for crop production can be used for of fodder and biomass production. Dev et al. (2014) observed significant impact of participatory silvipastoral intervention and soil conservation measures for forage resource enhancement in western Himalaya. The study aims to present the suitability of silvipastoral systems in detail and advocate the extensive use of silvipasture in semi-arid regions for higher production

Spatial analysis of soil parameters in Domagor-Pahuj watershed using Geostatistical methods of GIS

The water and land management is an important aspect in watershed programme increasing the productivity visa-vis sustainability of resources. Watersheds are natural hydraulic entity where water flows in a definite path to a common point. For land use planning of any watershed, soil characterization for its area is very essential and important. This would help in knowing the soil fertility status in watershed area. GIS is a tool that can be effectively used for spatial analysis of soil fertility for a desired geographical area. Domagor-Pahuj watershed is situated in Jhansi district of Bundelkhand region and located between 25o28’ to 25o31’ N latitude and 078o25’ to 078o28’ E longitude. This watershed has a total geographical area of 1 646 ha out of which 1 373 ha area is treatable and consists of three villages namely Domagor, Dikauli and Naya Khera. A total number of 103 representative soil samples were taken from Domagor-Pahuj watershed during May-June 2010. These samples were analyzed for soil parameters like pH, OC, EC, P, K, Zn, B and S. These sample points were geographically referenced and soil maps were generated using Geostatistical interpolation methods in Arc GIS 10. Ordinary and Universal Krigging methods were applied and compared on the basis of RMSE. Out of the two methods applied, ordinary Kriging was found better for prediction of soil EC, P, B and S, whereas universal Krigging was found better for prediction of soil pH, OC, K and Zn. Thus, spatial maps were generated by Ordinary and Universal Krigging methodsfor these soil parameters and hence may be used for soil fertility status and land use planning of Domagor-Pahuj watershed

Endothelial cell Nrf2-KO attenuates endothelial function and skeletal muscle antioxidant capacity

INTRODUCTION: Endothelial cells line the inner surface of blood vessels and play a major role in modulating blood flow and gas exchange. Endothelial dysfunction is thought to be a contributor to cardiovascular disease development, and it is well-accepted that excessive reactive oxygen species (harmful molecules) likely contribute to endothelial dysfunction. The transcription factor nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) is considered the master regulator of cellular protection in response to elevated reactive oxygen species. Therefore, Nrf2 may be a potential therapeutic target to protect against endothelial dysfunction. However, the roles of endothelial cell-specific Nrf2 on endothelial function are not known. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impacts of endothelial cell-specific Nrf2 deletion on vascular function (endothelium-dependent and endothelium-independent vasodilation) and skeletal muscle antioxidant status. METHODS: Leg arteries were harvested from 6-mo old C57BL/6 mice (WT, n = 6) and endothelial cell-specific Nrf2-knockout mice (Tie2-Cre-Nrf2 floxed-KO, n = 6). Endothelium-dependent vasodilation was assessed in response to flow (30 uL·min-1) and acetylcholine (ACh, 10-7-10-3 M) with and without Nω-Nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME), and endothelium-independent vasodilation was assessed with sodium nitroprusside (SNP, 10-9-10-4 M) using videomicroscopy. Skeletal muscle antioxidant protein expression for glutathione peroxidase-1 (GPX-1) and catalase (CAT) was assessed by immunoblotting. RESULTS: Endothelium-dependent vasodilation was lower in Nrf2-KO compared to WT induced by flow (WT: 34.8±2.9%, Nrf2-KO: 20.7±3.7%, P-3M, WT: 68.3±8.2%, Nrf2-KO: 44.5±7.1%, PP-3 M, 19.1±4.4%, PP=0.28) or ACh (10-3 M, 37.7±7.0%, P = 0.16). Endothelium-independent vasodilation was not different (SNP 10-4 M, WT: 92.7±3.6%, Nrf2-KO: 81.9± 0.2%, P=0.157). In addition, GPX-1 was lower in Nrf2-KO mice (WT: 0.47±0.06, Nrf2-KO: 0.001±0.003, PP=0.08). CONCLUSIONS: Endothelial cell Nrf2 may play a key role in endothelial-mediated vasodilatory function. The nitric oxide synthase inhibitor L-NAME attenuated endothelial-mediated vasodilation in WT but not in endothelial cell Nrf2-KO. Furthermore, endothelial cell Nrf2 may play a role in skeletal muscle antioxidant homeostasis, which suggests potential systemic implications of endothelial cell Nrf2 deletion. These results collectively suggest that the endothelial cell Nrf2 system is linked to endothelial dysfunction and changes in the skeletal muscle redox environment, likely through nitric oxide- and oxidative stress-related mechanisms