Estimation of plant nitrogen content using digital image processing

A manually operated four wheel test trolley was designed and developed for acquiring outdoor color images of plant under controlled illumination to predict crop nitrogen content in field.  This set up consists of a camera to capture the plant image, four lights to control illumination and a laptop for processing the signal.  The developed unit was evaluated rigorously for paddy crop for four observations at fifteen days interval after transplantation.  The results were compared with the chlorophyll content of the crop measured by SPAD meter and the chemical analysis of plant leaf.  The processing of the color plant image was done in MATLAB 7.0 program.  Various features such as R, G, B, normalized ‘r’ and normalized ‘g’ were analyzed for both the processes.  Regression models were developed and evaluated between various image feature and the plant nitrogen content and observed that, the minimum accuracy was found to be 65% with an average accuracy of 75% (Standard Deviation +1.9), actual and predicted values of nitrogen percent were linearly correlated with R2 value (0.948), this showed that the plant nitrogen content can be successfully estimated by its color image feature.   Keywords: precision agriculture, digital image processing, site specific nitrogen applicatio

Study of ambient air pollutants over Rishikesh at foothills of north-western Indian Himalaya

49-60Air quality parameters measured over Rishikesh city of Uttarakhand, where a large number of visitors and pilgrimage stay and pass by throughout the year are analyzed and studied. Such intensive human activities lead to the impacts and its manifestation on regional scale environment. Due to consistent infrastructure development and the increased vehicular emission due to transport, a large amount of particulate matters is added to the ambient environment and affects the air quality adversely. Here an attempt is made to understand the growth in level of ambient air pollutants through available measurement. In this study particulate matter (PM10), suspended particulate matters (SPMs) and the concentration of gaseous pollutants (SO2 and NO2) from 2011 to 2014 are measured and analyzed. It is observed that concentrations of the pollutants increase during pre-monsoon season as compared to the winter and monsoon seasons. In addition, PM10 and SPM concentrations are found about two times higher than the prescribed national standard. SO2 and NO2 levels are found within the limits as proposed by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) New Delhi, India. A detailed statistical analysis is carried out on the basis of monthly mean values of the observed pollutants. The PM10 exhibits a significant positive correlation with SO2 and NO2 concentrations. In addition, back trajectories show partly long-term transport from North Africa, Saudi Arabia and central Asian region in contributing over the region with local emission that is considered to be the main and direct cause of increasing trend of the pollutants

Fabrication of α‑Fe2O3 Nanostructures: synthesis, characterization, and their promising application in the treatment of Carcinoma A549 Lung Cancer Cells

In the present work, iron nanoparticles were synthesized in the α-Fe2O3 phase with the reduction of potassium hexachloroferrate(III) by using l-ascorbic acid as a reducing agent in the presence of an amphiphilic non-ionic polyethylene glycol surfactant in an aqueous solution. The synthesized α-Fe2O3 NPs were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, dynamic light scattering, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and ultraviolet–visible spectrophotometry. The powder X-ray diffraction analysis result confirmed the formation of α-Fe2O3 NPs, and the average crystallite size was found to be 45 nm. The other morphological studies suggested that α-Fe2O3 NPs were predominantly spherical in shape with a diameter ranges from 40 to 60 nm. The dynamic light scattering analysis revealed the zeta potential of α-Fe2O3 NPs as −28 ± 18 mV at maximum stability. The ultraviolet–visible spectrophotometry analysis shows an absorption peak at 394 nm, which is attributed to their surface plasmon vibration. The cytotoxicity test of synthesized α-Fe2O3 NPs was investigated against human carcinoma A549 lung cancer cells, and the biological adaptability exhibited by α-Fe2O3 NPs has opened a pathway to biomedical applications in the drug delivery system. Our investigation confirmed that l-ascorbic acid-coated α-Fe2O3 NPs with calculated IC50 ≤ 30 μg/mL are the best suited as an anticancer agent, showing the promising application in the treatment of carcinoma A549 lung cancer cells

Study protocol for economic evaluation of probiotic intervention for prevention of neonatal sepsis in 0-2-month old low-birth weight infants in India: the ProSPoNS trial

Introduction: The ProSPoNS trial is a multicentre, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to evaluate the role of probiotics in prevention of neonatal sepsis. The present protocol describes the data and methodology for the cost utility of the probiotic intervention alongside the controlled trial. Methods and analysis: A societal perspective will be adopted in the economic evaluation. Direct medical and non-medical costs associated with neonatal sepsis and its treatment would be ascertained in both the intervention and the control arm. Intervention costs will be facilitated through primary data collection and programme budgetary records. Treatment cost for neonatal sepsis and associated conditions will be accessed from Indian national costing database estimating healthcare system costs. A cost–utility design will be employed with outcome as incremental cost per disability-adjusted life year averted. Considering a time-horizon of 6 months, trial estimates will be extrapolated to model the cost and consequences among high-risk neonatal population in India. A discount rate of 3% will be used. Impact of uncertainties present in analysis will be addressed through both deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analysis. Ethics and dissemination: Has been obtained from EC of the six participating sites (MGIMS Wardha, KEM Pune, JIPMER Puducherry, AIPH, Bhubaneswar, LHMC New Delhi, SMC Meerut) as well as from the ERC of LSTM, UK. A peer-reviewed article will be published after completion of the study. Findings will be disseminated to the community of the study sites, with academic bodies and policymakers. Registration: The protocol has been approved by the regulatory authority (Central Drugs Standards Control Organisation; CDSCO) in India (CT-NOC No. CT/NOC/17/2019 dated 1 March 2019). The ProSPoNS trial is registered at the Clinical Trial Registry of India (CTRI). Registered on 16 May 2019. Trial registration number: CTRI/2019/05/019197; Clinical Trial Registry

Measurement of the Bottom-Strange Meson Mixing Phase in the Full CDF Data Set

We report a measurement of the bottom-strange meson mixing phase \beta_s using the time evolution of B0_s -> J/\psi (->\mu+\mu-) \phi (-> K+ K-) decays in which the quark-flavor content of the bottom-strange meson is identified at production. This measurement uses the full data set of proton-antiproton collisions at sqrt(s)= 1.96 TeV collected by the Collider Detector experiment at the Fermilab Tevatron, corresponding to 9.6 fb-1 of integrated luminosity. We report confidence regions in the two-dimensional space of \beta_s and the B0_s decay-width difference \Delta\Gamma_s, and measure \beta_s in [-\pi/2, -1.51] U [-0.06, 0.30] U [1.26, \pi/2] at the 68% confidence level, in agreement with the standard model expectation. Assuming the standard model value of \beta_s, we also determine \Delta\Gamma_s = 0.068 +- 0.026 (stat) +- 0.009 (syst) ps-1 and the mean B0_s lifetime, \tau_s = 1.528 +- 0.019 (stat) +- 0.009 (syst) ps, which are consistent and competitive with determinations by other experiments.Comment: 8 pages, 2 figures, Phys. Rev. Lett 109, 171802 (2012

Surgery, Octreotide, Temozolomide, Bevacizumab, Radiotherapy, and Pegvisomant Treatment of an AIP Mutation-Positive Child

UK India Education Research Initiative and the British Council (75-2014; to P.D.)Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, University Grants Commission, for financial support (2061330632; to A.R.).Medical Research Council (MR/M018539/1; to M.K

Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy (3rd edition)

In 2008 we published the first set of guidelines for standardizing research in autophagy. Since then, research on this topic has continued to accelerate, and many new scientists have entered the field. Our knowledge base and relevant new technologies have also been expanding. Accordingly, it is important to update these guidelines for monitoring autophagy in different organisms. Various reviews have described the range of assays that have been used for this purpose. Nevertheless, there continues to be confusion regarding acceptable methods to measure autophagy, especially in multicellular eukaryotes. For example, a key point that needs to be emphasized is that there is a difference between measurements that monitor the numbers or volume of autophagic elements (e.g., autophagosomes or autolysosomes) at any stage of the autophagic process versus those that measure fl ux through the autophagy pathway (i.e., the complete process including the amount and rate of cargo sequestered and degraded). In particular, a block in macroautophagy that results in autophagosome accumulation must be differentiated from stimuli that increase autophagic activity, defi ned as increased autophagy induction coupled with increased delivery to, and degradation within, lysosomes (inmost higher eukaryotes and some protists such as Dictyostelium ) or the vacuole (in plants and fungi). In other words, it is especially important that investigators new to the fi eld understand that the appearance of more autophagosomes does not necessarily equate with more autophagy. In fact, in many cases, autophagosomes accumulate because of a block in trafficking to lysosomes without a concomitant change in autophagosome biogenesis, whereas an increase in autolysosomes may reflect a reduction in degradative activity. It is worth emphasizing here that lysosomal digestion is a stage of autophagy and evaluating its competence is a crucial part of the evaluation of autophagic flux, or complete autophagy. Here, we present a set of guidelines for the selection and interpretation of methods for use by investigators who aim to examine macroautophagy and related processes, as well as for reviewers who need to provide realistic and reasonable critiques of papers that are focused on these processes. These guidelines are not meant to be a formulaic set of rules, because the appropriate assays depend in part on the question being asked and the system being used. In addition, we emphasize that no individual assay is guaranteed to be the most appropriate one in every situation, and we strongly recommend the use of multiple assays to monitor autophagy. Along these lines, because of the potential for pleiotropic effects due to blocking autophagy through genetic manipulation it is imperative to delete or knock down more than one autophagy-related gene. In addition, some individual Atg proteins, or groups of proteins, are involved in other cellular pathways so not all Atg proteins can be used as a specific marker for an autophagic process. In these guidelines, we consider these various methods of assessing autophagy and what information can, or cannot, be obtained from them. Finally, by discussing the merits and limits of particular autophagy assays, we hope to encourage technical innovation in the field

Neurodevelopmental disorders in children aged 2-9 years: Population-based burden estimates across five regions in India.

BACKGROUND: Neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) compromise the development and attainment of full social and economic potential at individual, family, community, and country levels. Paucity of data on NDDs slows down policy and programmatic action in most developing countries despite perceived high burden. METHODS AND FINDINGS: We assessed 3,964 children (with almost equal number of boys and girls distributed in 2-<6 and 6-9 year age categories) identified from five geographically diverse populations in India using cluster sampling technique (probability proportionate to population size). These were from the North-Central, i.e., Palwal (N = 998; all rural, 16.4% non-Hindu, 25.3% from scheduled caste/tribe [SC-ST] [these are considered underserved communities who are eligible for affirmative action]); North, i.e., Kangra (N = 997; 91.6% rural, 3.7% non-Hindu, 25.3% SC-ST); East, i.e., Dhenkanal (N = 981; 89.8% rural, 1.2% non-Hindu, 38.0% SC-ST); South, i.e., Hyderabad (N = 495; all urban, 25.7% non-Hindu, 27.3% SC-ST) and West, i.e., North Goa (N = 493; 68.0% rural, 11.4% non-Hindu, 18.5% SC-ST). All children were assessed for vision impairment (VI), epilepsy (Epi), neuromotor impairments including cerebral palsy (NMI-CP), hearing impairment (HI), speech and language disorders, autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), and intellectual disability (ID). Furthermore, 6-9-year-old children were also assessed for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and learning disorders (LDs). We standardized sample characteristics as per Census of India 2011 to arrive at district level and all-sites-pooled estimates. Site-specific prevalence of any of seven NDDs in 2-<6 year olds ranged from 2.9% (95% CI 1.6-5.5) to 18.7% (95% CI 14.7-23.6), and for any of nine NDDs in the 6-9-year-old children, from 6.5% (95% CI 4.6-9.1) to 18.5% (95% CI 15.3-22.3). Two or more NDDs were present in 0.4% (95% CI 0.1-1.7) to 4.3% (95% CI 2.2-8.2) in the younger age category and 0.7% (95% CI 0.2-2.0) to 5.3% (95% CI 3.3-8.2) in the older age category. All-site-pooled estimates for NDDs were 9.2% (95% CI 7.5-11.2) and 13.6% (95% CI 11.3-16.2) in children of 2-<6 and 6-9 year age categories, respectively, without significant difference according to gender, rural/urban residence, or religion; almost one-fifth of these children had more than one NDD. The pooled estimates for prevalence increased by up to three percentage points when these were adjusted for national rates of stunting or low birth weight (LBW). HI, ID, speech and language disorders, Epi, and LDs were the common NDDs across sites. Upon risk modelling, noninstitutional delivery, history of perinatal asphyxia, neonatal illness, postnatal neurological/brain infections, stunting, LBW/prematurity, and older age category (6-9 year) were significantly associated with NDDs. The study sample was underrepresentative of stunting and LBW and had a 15.6% refusal. These factors could be contributing to underestimation of the true NDD burden in our population. CONCLUSIONS: The study identifies NDDs in children aged 2-9 years as a significant public health burden for India. HI was higher than and ASD prevalence comparable to the published global literature. Most risk factors of NDDs were modifiable and amenable to public health interventions

The Changing Landscape for Stroke\ua0Prevention in AF: Findings From the GLORIA-AF Registry Phase 2

Background GLORIA-AF (Global Registry on Long-Term Oral Antithrombotic Treatment in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation) is a prospective, global registry program describing antithrombotic treatment patterns in patients with newly diagnosed nonvalvular atrial fibrillation at risk of stroke. Phase 2 began when dabigatran, the first non\u2013vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulant (NOAC), became available. Objectives This study sought to describe phase 2 baseline data and compare these with the pre-NOAC era collected during phase&nbsp;1. Methods During phase 2, 15,641 consenting patients were enrolled (November 2011 to December 2014); 15,092 were eligible. This pre-specified cross-sectional analysis describes eligible patients\u2019 baseline characteristics. Atrial fibrillation&nbsp;disease characteristics, medical outcomes, and concomitant diseases and medications were collected. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results Of the total patients, 45.5% were female; median age was 71 (interquartile range: 64, 78) years. Patients were from Europe (47.1%), North America (22.5%), Asia (20.3%), Latin America (6.0%), and the Middle East/Africa (4.0%). Most had high stroke risk (CHA2DS2-VASc [Congestive heart failure, Hypertension, Age&nbsp; 6575 years, Diabetes mellitus, previous Stroke, Vascular disease, Age 65 to 74 years, Sex category] score&nbsp; 652; 86.1%); 13.9% had moderate risk (CHA2DS2-VASc&nbsp;= 1). Overall, 79.9% received oral anticoagulants, of whom 47.6% received NOAC and 32.3% vitamin K antagonists (VKA); 12.1% received antiplatelet agents; 7.8% received no antithrombotic treatment. For comparison, the proportion of phase 1 patients (of N&nbsp;= 1,063 all eligible) prescribed VKA was 32.8%, acetylsalicylic acid 41.7%, and no therapy 20.2%. In Europe in phase 2, treatment with NOAC was more common than VKA (52.3% and 37.8%, respectively); 6.0% of patients received antiplatelet treatment; and 3.8% received no antithrombotic treatment. In North America, 52.1%, 26.2%, and 14.0% of patients received NOAC, VKA, and antiplatelet drugs, respectively; 7.5% received no antithrombotic treatment. NOAC use was less common in Asia (27.7%), where 27.5% of patients received VKA, 25.0% antiplatelet drugs, and 19.8% no antithrombotic treatment. Conclusions The baseline data from GLORIA-AF phase 2 demonstrate that in newly diagnosed nonvalvular atrial fibrillation patients, NOAC have been highly adopted into practice, becoming more frequently prescribed than VKA in&nbsp;Europe and North America. Worldwide, however, a large proportion of patients remain undertreated, particularly in&nbsp;Asia&nbsp;and North America. (Global Registry on Long-Term Oral Antithrombotic Treatment in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation [GLORIA-AF]; NCT01468701

Calcium- and salt-stress signaling in plants: shedding light on SOS pathway

As salt stress imposes a major environmental threat to agriculture, understanding the basic physiology and genetics of cell under salt stress is crucial for developing any transgenic strategy. Salt Overly Sensitive (SOS) genes (SOS1-SOS3) were isolated through positional cloning. Since sos mutants are hypersensitive to salt, their characterization resulted in the discovery of a novel pathway, which has helped in our understanding the mechanism of salt-stress tolerance in plants. Genetic analysis confirmed that SOS1-SOS3 function in a common pathway of salt tolerance. This pathway also emphasizes the significance of Ca<SUP>2+</SUP> signal in reinstating cellular ion homeostasis. SOS3, a Ca<SUP>2+</SUP> sensor, transduces the signal downstream after activating and interacting with SOS2 protein kinase. This SOS3-SOS2 complex activates the Na<SUP>+</SUP>/H<SUP>+</SUP> antiporter activity of SOS1 thereby reestablish cellular ion homeostasis. Recently, SOS4 and SOS5 have also been characterized. SOS4 encodes a pyridoxal (PL) kinase that is involved in the biosynthesis of pyridoxal-5-phosphate (PLP), an active form of vitamin B6. SOS5 has been shown to be a putative cell surface adhesion protein that is required for normal cell expansion. Under salt stress, the normal growth and expansion of a plant cell becomes even more important and SOS5 helps in the maintenance of cell wall integrity and architecture. In this review we focus on the recent advances in salt stress and SOS signaling pathway. A broad coverage of the discovery of SOS mutants, structural aspect of these genes and the latest developments in the field of SOS1-SOS5 has been described