Nutrient requirement, canopy development and fruit yield of high density guava (Psidium guajava L.) production in subtropics of Northern Karnataka

Nutrient requirement for guava under high density planting is much higher than normal planting. Combined application of organic manures and chemical fertilizers will enhance nutrient use efficiency. The field experiment was carried out at Raichur, Karnataka, India during 2017 to standardize rate of fertilizers and organic manures for Guava (Psidium guajava L.)  cv. Allahabad safeda under high density planting. Treatments consists of application of fertilizers for normal planting compared with 100:40:75 g NPK/plant as recommended dose of fertilizers (RDF), 75% and 50% of high density planting (HDP) along with 25 kg farmyard manure, organic manure alone and foliar application of urea @ 1 % at 2,3 and 4 months after pruning. Results indicated that application of NPK@ 235: 118: 120 g per plant as per the RDF for HDP along with 25 kg FYM has resulted in taller plants, plant spread E-W as well as N-S directions, canopy volume and leaf area index. Higher fruits/plant, average fruit weight, fruit diameter, fruit length, fruit yield per plant and fruit yield (48.58 t ha-1) was recorded by application of NPK@ 235: 118: 120 g per plant same as that of HDP along with 25 kg FYM. Application of 50 % of HDP recommendation along with foliar application of urea @ 1% at 2, 3 and 4 months after pruning and 25 kg FYM was also found effective in achieving higher fruit yield of guava

Chemosensor for micro to nano-molar detection of Ag+ and Hg2+ ions in pure aqueous media and its applications in cell imaging

The pyridine substituted thiourea derivative PTB-1 was synthesized and characterized by spectroscopic techniques as well as by single crystal X-ray crystallography. The metal ion sensing ability of PTB-1 was explored by various experimental (naked-eye, UV-Vis, fluorescence, mass spectrometry and 1H NMR spectroscopy) and theoretical (B3LYP/6-31G**/LANL2DZ) methods. PTB-1 exhibited a highly selective naked-eye detectable color change from colorless to dark brown and UV-Vis spectral changes for the detection of Ag+ with a detection limit of 3.67 µM in aqueous medium. The detection of Ag+ ions was achieved by test paper strip and supported silica methods. In contrast, PTB-1 exhibited a 23-fold enhanced emission at 420 nm in the presence of Hg2+ ions with a nano-molar detection limit of 0.69 nM. Finally, the sensor PTB-1 was applied successfully for the intracellular detection of Hg2+ ions in a HepG2 liver cell line, which was monitored by use of confocal imaging techniques

Persistent Mullerian Duct Syndrome in a Post Orchideopexy Patient with Gyanaecomastia and Hypospadias: A Case Report

Persistent Mullerian Duct Syndrome (PMDS), a rare form of male pseudohermaphroditism. It is characterized by the persistence of Mullerian duct structures (uterus, fallopian tubes and upper two-thirds of vagina) in otherwise normally virilized males (Karyotype 46XY). The exact cause of PMDS is not known, however it is thought to result from the defect of the synthesis or release of Mullerian inhibiting factor (MIF) or from a MIF receptor defect. Herein we report a case of PMDS with gynaecomastia and hypospadias in a post orchidopexy patient

Sweet sorghum for ethanol: A new beginning

Sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] is an important dryland cereal grown in India (7.8 million ha) and around the world (45.8 million ha) for food, feed, fodder, bioenergy and fiber. Sweet sorghum is similar to grain sorghum and are generally tall (3.0-4.0 m), late maturing (20-30 days) and relatively photoperiod-sensitive; produce 2-3 t ha-1 grain yield with higher stalk yields (50-60 t ha-1 of fresh biomass). Sweet sorghum is a new generation bioenergy crop that has potential to accumulate sugar (10-15%) in its stalk similar to sugarcane, apart from producing grains. The bagasse, remnant stalk after extraction of juice, can be used as animal feed or for vermicomposting to generate power. The crop has the ability to adapt to various agro-climatic conditions and reasonably tolerates drought and saline-alkaline conditions. The crop is raised from seed and is of shorter duration (115-120 days) than sugarcane (12-18 months) making it amenable for multiple cropping systems. Water use or seasonal evapotranspiration (ET) for sorghum is 508 mm while it is 1257 mm for sugarcane. Water requirement of this crop is one-third that of sugarcane on a comparable time scale. Also, sweet sorghum requires about 22% less water than maize. With these advantages, sweet sorghum is a good bioenergy crop and can complement the available feedstocks for biofuel production

Contextual factors influencing the urban mobility infrastructure interventions and policies for older adults in low- and middle-income countries: A realist review

Transportation is among the key aspects that influence active ageing. This realist review intends to understand the mechanisms of urban mobility infrastructure interventions and policies in low- and middle-income countries for older adults and to identify factors, which influenced the success or failure of interventions. We followed the steps suggested by Pawson and colleagues for a realist review. Electronic databases were searched from inception until August 2020. Studies were screened based on titles, abstracts and full text. The quality of included studies was assessed based on rigour and relevance. The evidence was obtained from 36 articles with diverse study designs conducted in 36 low- and middle-income countries. Findings were validated through stakeholder consultations from three low- and middle-income countries. Of the various individual factors identified, behaviour change communication interventions were low-cost, had a long-term impact and were efficient in increasing awareness among users to improve safety, social inclusion and about transport schemes for older adults. Improved transport infrastructure resulted in a shift from private to public transportation. For a sustainable urban transport infrastructure, good governance and involvement of stakeholders for planning and implementing transport interventions were considered necessary. Lack of evaluation, experience of transport planners, and inter-sectoral coordination were key challenges to successful interventions. The review highlighted a lack of older adult-specific transportation policies, and gender-targeted interventions for older women, suggesting a need for interventions and policies based on the contextual factors existing in a region

Developing a Sweet Sorghum Ethanol Value Chain

Sweet sorghum is a fascinating crop by virtue of its rapid growth, high biomass production potential, and adaptability to a range of conditions, high water use efficiency and its multipurpose use. Although scientists have been working on sweet sorghum for many years, the focus was mainly on its fodder value and use. Recognition of its utility as biofuel feedstock is a recent development. Considering the energy requirements, particularly of a rapidly growing economy like India and its ethanol blending commitments, attention to sweet sorghum as an alternative feedstock for bioethanol production is a perfect choice. Keeping this in view, a sub-project on ‘Sweet sorghum ethanol value chain development’ was developed with the help of consortium partners that included the Directorate of Sorghum Research (DSR), Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture (CRIDA), Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT), International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Sri Venkateshwara Veterinary University (SVVU) and Rusni Distilleries, which was eventually approved for funding by the National Agricultural Innovation Project under the Indian Council for Agricultural Research (NAIP (ICAR)). Taking a cue from the on-going genetic and crop management research on sweet sorghum, the sub-project was built on developing a sustainable sweet sorghum ethanol value chain by exploring the various options to increase onfarm productivity, enhance the harvest window, plug loopholes in the supply chain, increase the juice extraction efficiency and its storage, mechanize sweet sorghum production and processing, and efficiently utilize the by-products. These major activities were shared among the partners based on their competencies, and were implemented in letter and spirit to build a successful sweet sorghum ethanol value chain. The economic competitiveness of sweet sorghum vis-à-vis other feedstocks; economics of sweet sorghum for ethanol production, and the biofuel policy of India are also discussed in detail. The progress made in this endeavor, the experiences gained and lessons learned are thoroughly documented and presented in this book. A few critical issues include favorable policy intervention in terms of stalk pricing (subsidizing raw material cost to the industry) and ethanol pricing (subsidizing current ethanol production cost at an optimum level until the initial teething problems are overcome) and institutional support to help the industry to scale up the processing of sweet sorghum for bioethanol production more rapidly. xi This is a joint work of all the partners in the consortium and we have cherished working together. We thank the NAIP (ICAR) for funding this work and providing us an opportunity to work together to provide a road map for promotion of sweet sorghum towards ethanol production. We are confident that this report gives a realistic depiction of state-of-the-art technologies, the progress made in developing sweet sorghum, the opportunities and issues involved and the way forward to make the sweet sorghum ethanol value chain successful and sustainable

Sweet sorghum cultivar options

Sweet sorghum can be grown under dryland conditions with annual rainfall ranging from 550-750 mm. The best areas to produce this crop are Central and South India, subtropical areas of Uttar Pradesh and Uttaranchal. It can be grown on well-drained soils such as silt loam or sandy silt clay loam soils with a depth of 0.75 m. Atmospheric temperatures suitable for sweet sorghum growth vary between 15 and 37°C. Sorghum being a C4 species is adapted to a wide range of environments with latitudes ranging from 40oN to 40oS of the equator. Sorghum in general has relatively a deep root system (>1.5 m), and has the unique feature of being ‘dormant’ under unfavorable conditions and resume growth once environmental conditions are favorabl

Real world evidence of effectiveness and safety of an oral formulation containing un-denatured type-II collagen 40 mg and aflapin 100 mg (HAPID®) in the management of osteoarthritis of knee: findings of a prospective, multi-center, observational study

Background: Osteoarthritis (OA) of knee is a common progressive multifactorial joint disorder affecting the quality of life, and surgical repair is the final option which has substantial impact on healthcare costs. This real-world study evaluates the efficacy and safety of an oral formulation containing UC-II and aflapin (Boswellia serrata extract enriched in 3-O-acetyl-11-keto-beta-boswellic acid) for treatment of OA of knee.Methods: Data of 505 ambulatory adult patients (study duration-Jul-21 to Jul-22) of either gender (227 M, 278 F) having OA of knee, and who received study treatment (capsule HAPID®, Wockhardt, India) once daily for a period of up to 90 days were included for the study after obtaining informed written consent. Primary outcomes were mean change in Western Ontario and McMaster universities OA index (WOMAC) scores from baseline through day 90 (total and sub-scales for joint pain, joint stiffness, and physical function), and change in 0-10 visual analogue scale (VAS) score for pain.Results: About 285 (56.4%) patients were newly diagnosed, majority (63.4%) were having grade 2 severity of OA (Kellgren and Lawrence grade). The mean (SD) baseline total WOMAC scores improved from 60.94 (23.60) at baseline to 26.42 (22.19) on day 90. Significant improvements were seen starting from day 5 (p=0.023) and progressively up to day 90 (p<0.0001).Conclusions: The excellent safety and efficacy profile of combination therapy with aflapin and UC-II makes it a desirable pharmacological treatment modality for management of patients of knee OA

Postrainy season sorghum: Constraints and breeding approaches

Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) is the fifth most important cereal crop in the world. Different types of sorghum are recognized. These are: grain sorghum, dual purpose (grain and fodder) sorghum, fodder sorghum, forage sorghum and sweet stalk sorghum. Also two types of sorghums are noted based on the season of adaptation; these are rainy (wet) season or postrainy (dry) season sorghum. There are two distinct sorghum growing seasons in India, kharif (rainy season; June–October) and rabi (postrainy season; October–January). In India, the grain productivity is about 1.2 t ha-1 in the rainy season, and about 0.8 t ha-1 in the postrainy season whereas the global grain productivity of sorghum is 1.4 t ha-1 (FAOSTAT 2011). The grain sorghum requirements for these two seasonal adaptations are quite diverse due to different agroclimatic conditions (Rana et al. 1997). There has been a significant decline in area under grain and dual purpose sorghum during the rainy season due to grain molds, but the area has remained stable in the postrainy season where mostly dual purpose sorghums are cultivated

Multimodal discrimination of immune cells using a combination of Raman spectroscopy and digital holographic microscopy

This work was supported by the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council under grant EP/J01771X/1, A European Union FAMOS project (FP7 ICT, 317744), and the ’BRAINS’ 600th anniversary appeal, and Dr. E. Killick. We would also like to thank The RS Macdonald Charitable Trust for funding support. KD acknowledges support of a Royal Society Leverhulme Trust Senior Fellowship. This work was also supported by the PreDiCT-TB consortium [IMI Joint undertaking grant agreement number 115337, resources of which are composed of financial contribution from the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) and EFPIA companies’ in kind contribution (www.imi.europa.eu)]The ability to identify and characterise individual cells of the immune system under label-free conditions would be a significant advantage in biomedical and clinical studies where untouched and unmodified cells are required. We present a multi-modal system capable of simultaneously acquiring both single point Raman spectra and digital holographic images of single cells. We use this combined approach to identify and discriminate between immune cell populations CD4+ T cells, B cells and monocytes. We investigate several approaches to interpret the phase images including signal intensity histograms and texture analysis. Both modalities are independently able to discriminate between cell subsets and dual-modality may therefore be used a means for validation. We demonstrate here sensitivities achieved in the range of 86.8% to 100%, and specificities in the range of 85.4% to 100%. Additionally each modality provides information not available from the other providing both a molecular and a morphological signature of each cell.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe