Knowledge of Recommended Pesticide usage among Cabbage Growers

This study aimed to access the knowledge level of cabbage growers on recommended pesticide usage practices. It was carried out in two blocks of Krishnagiri district of Tamil Nadu. Krishnagiri district was selected based on maximum acreage under cabbage cultivation. Two blocks viz., Shoolagiri and Hosur were selected considering the area covered under cabbage. A sample of 120 cabbage growers was selected random selected for the study. A well structured interview schedule was used for data collection and collected data were analyzed using appropriate statistical tools. The findings of the study revealed that majority of the cabbage growers had medium to low level of knowledge on recommended pesticides usage

On the Accuracy of A.C. Flux Leakage, Eddy Current, EMAT and Ultrasonic Methods of Measuring Surface Connecting Flaws in Seamless Steel Tubing

The objective of this study was to perform a comparative experimental evaluation to determine the detection sensitivity, classification (fJaw type) and depth sizing accuracy of A.C. flux leakage, single-frequency eddy current, electromagnetic acoustic transducer (EMAT) generated surface waves, and broadband ultrasonic methods for the measurement of complex surface connecting flaws in hot rolled, seamless, ferritic tubing. Since it was of interest to invest NDE techniques over a wide range of capabilities, tubing having flaw depths far exceeding industry standards was tested and evaluated. Results of the study will be used to provide a benchmark assessment of these NDE methods, from which decisions concerning production test systems can be made

Mangiferin induces cell death against rhabdomyosarcoma through sustained oxidative stress

AbstractBackgroundEmbryonic rhabdomyosarcoma (RD) is the most prevalent type of cancer among children. The present study aimed to investigate cell death induced by mangiferin in RD cells.MethodsThe Inhibitory concentration (IC50) value of mangiferin was determined by an MTT (3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-Diphenyltetrazolium Bromide) assay. Cell death induced by mangiferin against RD cells was determined through lactate dehydrogenase and nitric oxide release, intracellular calcium levels, reactive oxygen species generation, antioxidant status, mitochondrial calcium level, and mitochondrial membrane potential. Furthermore, acridine orange/ethidium bromide staining was performed to determine early/late apoptotic event.ResultsMangiferin induced cell death in RD cells with an IC50 value of 70μM. The cytotoxic effect was reflected in a dose-dependent increase in lactate dehydrogenase leakage and nitric oxide release during mangiferin treatment. Mangiferin caused dose dependent increase in reactive oxygen species generation, intracellular calcium levels with subsequent decrease in antioxidant status (catalase, superoxide dismutase, glutathione-S-transferase, and glutathione) and loss of mitochondrial membrane potential in RD cells. Further data from fluorescence microscopy suggest that mangiferin caused cell shrinkage and nuclear condensation along with the occurrence of a late event of apoptosis.ConclusionResults of the present study shows that mangiferin can act as a promising chemopreventive agent against RD by inducing sustained oxidative stress

Impairment of chloroplast development and sink strength by blockade of light in chloroembryos of Cyamopsis Tetragonoloba (L.) Taub.

In many members of Fabaceae synthesis of chloroplast pigments takes place even when the embryo is deep inside the fruit. Blockade of light totally etiolated the embryos of developing Cyamopsis fruits upto 16-18 days after anthesis (DAA), whereas the pigments of the mature embryos, when shaded, were not significantly affected. Upon illuminatio resynthesis of green pigments by etiolated embryos occurred both l n v i v o and in vitro more significantly during the early stages of growth of the embryos (upto 18 DAA). Shading of developing fruits at different growth stages of embryos, reduced the growth of sink. The results are discussed in relation to the importance of light on embryo greening and dry matter production

An interesting case of neurocutaneous syndrome

Neuroichthyosis is a group of rare genetically determined disease with cutaneous and neurological manifestations due to abnormalities in any of the following: lipid metabolism, glycoprotein synthesis, or intracellular vesicle trafficking. There are about 16 disorders with known genetic aetiology like Sjogren Larssons syndrome (SLS), Refsum disease, Gauchers disease type 2, ELOVL4 deficiency etc. Among the various neuroicthyosis syndromes, Sjogren Larsson syndrome is the most common entity characterised by ichthyosis, spastic diplegia or tetraplegia, cognitive dysfunction, seizures, and a maculopathy with glistening white dots. We hereby report a case of neuroichthyosis disease who presented to us with developmental delay, spastic paraplegia, seizure and ichthyosis, whose genetic testing showed homozygous mutation in ALDH3A2, suggestive of Sjogren Larsson syndrome

Improvement of Weld Bead Characteristics in Gas Metal Arc Welding of SA515 Carbon Steel by Applying Alternating Shielding Gas Flow Technique

High service temperature of pressure vessel components necessitates the use of welded SA515 grade carbon steel components. The gas metal arc welding (GMAW) process using CO2 as shielding gas is known for its undesirable spatter behaviour and inferior weld quality. The alternating shielding gas flow (ASGF) technique is proposed in this study using the shielding gases, viz. CO2 and argon to overcome this difficulty. The welding current, stand-off distance, and shielding gas flow were all varied to improve the bead-on-plate profile geometry. The bead profile parameters such as depth of penetration, bead width, and bead height are considered as weld bead parameters. The following methods are used: correlation analysis, analysis of variance (ANOVA), modelling, and grey relational analysis (GRA). According to the findings, the welding current and ASGF are the most influential parameters impacting the weld bead characteristics. By increasing the welding current, the bead profile parameters increase linearly. The geometry of the bead profile was improved by using the GRA

Local Knowledge and Conservation of Seagrasses in the Tamil Nadu State of India

Local knowledge systems are not considered in the conservation of fragile seagrass marine ecosystems. In fact, little is known about the utility of seagrasses in local coastal communities. This is intriguing given that some local communities rely on seagrasses to sustain their livelihoods and have relocated their villages to areas with a rich diversity and abundance of seagrasses. The purpose of this study is to assist in conservation efforts regarding seagrasses through identifying Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) from local knowledge systems of seagrasses from 40 coastal communities along the eastern coast of India. We explore the assemblage of scientific and local traditional knowledge concerning the 1. classification of seagrasses (comparing scientific and traditional classification systems), 2. utility of seagrasses, 3. Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) of seagrasses, and 4. current conservation efforts for seagrass ecosystems. Our results indicate that local knowledge systems consist of a complex classification of seagrass diversity that considers the role of seagrasses in the marine ecosystem. This fine-scaled ethno-classification gives rise to five times the number of taxa (10 species = 50 local ethnotaxa), each with a unique role in the ecosystem and utility within coastal communities, including the use of seagrasses for medicine (e.g., treatment of heart conditions, seasickness, etc.), food (nutritious seeds), fertilizer (nutrient rich biomass) and livestock feed (goats and sheep). Local communities are concerned about the loss of seagrass diversity and have considerable local knowledge that is valuable for conservation and restoration plans. This study serves as a case study example of the depth and breadth of local knowledge systems for a particular ecosystem that is in peril

Kinetics of thermal decomposition of some metal oxalates

The thermal decomposition kinetics of oxalates of ZnII, NiII and ThIV have been studied in air by isothermal and non-isothermal thermogravimetry. The isothermal kinetic results suggest that the mechanism of decomposition of the zinc compound involves rapid nucleation followed by two dimensional growth in the acceleratory region, while in the case of thorium oxalate, the initial nucleation occurs by a chain mechanism on the surface of the reactant followed by the growth of the product from the surface towards the interior. The results on nickel oxalate could not be interpreted in an unambiguous manner. The activation energy and the frequency factor obtained from TG curves compare well with those obtained from the isothermal method. The activation energies for the dehydration of these oxalates have also been evaluated from the thermogravimetric curves

Removal of heavy metal from industrial wastewater using chitosan coated oil palm shell charcoal

This research focuses on understanding biosorption process and developing a cost effective technology for treatment of heavy metals-contaminated industrial wastewater. A new composite biosorbent has been prepared by coating chitosan onto acid treated oil palm shell charcoal (AOPSC). Chitosan loading on the AOPSC support is about 21% by weight. The shape of the adsorbent is nearly spherical with particle diameter ranging 100~150 \u3bcm. The adsorption capacity of the composite biosorbent was evaluated by measuring the extent of adsorption of chromium metal ions from water under equilibrium conditions at 25\ub0C. Using Langmuir isotherm model, the equilibrium data yielded the following ultimate capacity values for the coated biosorbent on a per gram basis of chitosan: 154 mg Cr/g. Bioconversion of Cr (VI) to Cr (III) by chitosan was also observed and had been shown previously in other studies using plant tissues and mineral surfaces. After the biosorbent was saturated with the metal ions, the adsorbent was regenerated with 0.1 M sodium hydroxide. Maximum desorption of the metal takes place within 5 bed volumes while complete desorption occurs within 10 bed volumes. Details of preparation of the biosorbent, characterization, and adsorption studies are presented. Dominant sorption mechanisms are ionic interactions and complexation