Economic Feasibility of Vegetable Production under Polyhouse:A Case Study of Capsicum and Tomato

Polyhouse cultivation of vegetables is emerging as a specialized production technology to overcome biotic and abiotic stresses and to break the seasonal barrier to production. It also ensures round the year production of highvalue vegetables, like capsicum, especially, during off-season. Cost is the major issue in sustaining this technology. The present study examined the economic viability of production of capsicum and tomato in a naturally ventilated polyhouse of medium cost category with drip irrigation system. Data were generated by cost accounting method for estimating the feasibility of production and was analyzed by using project evaluation methods, like Pay Back Period (PBP), Benefit Cost Ratio (BCR), Net Present Value (NPV) and Internal Rate of Return (IRR). Cultivation of capsicum in a polyhouse was found to be highly feasible as reflected in higher values of NPV (Rs.3,23,145/500 m2), BCR (1.80) and IRR (53.7%) with payback period of less than two years. Breakeven price for capsicum production in a polyhouse (Rs.11.80/kg) was lesser than average wholesale price. Production of tomato in a polyhouse was found not feasible, as the breakeven price was more than the average market price and all the project appraisal parameters indicated that it was not feasible. Only at about 48% premium price over the prevailing market price or reduction of cost of polyhouse structure by 60% from Rs.400 to Rs.160 /m2, could make the tomato production viable in a poly house

Annihilation of vortex dipoles in an Oblate Bose-Einstein Condensate

We theoretically explore the annihilation of vortex dipoles, generated when an obstacle moves through an oblate Bose-Einstein condensate, and examine the energetics of the annihilation event. We show that the gray soliton, which results from the vortex dipole annihilation, is lower in energy than the vortex dipole. We also investigate the annihilation events numerically and observe that the annihilation occurs only when the vortex dipole overtakes the obstacle and comes closer than the coherence length. Furthermore, we find that the noise reduces the probability of annihilation events. This may explain the lack of annihilation events in experimental realizations.Comment: 8 pages and 9 figure

A single photoelectron transistor for quantum optical communications

A single photoelectron can be trapped and its photoelectric charge detected by a source/drain channel in a transistor. Such a transistor photodetector can be useful for flagging the safe arrival of a photon in a quantum repeater. The electron trap can be photo-ionized and repeatedly reset for the arrival of successive individual photons. This single photoelectron transistor (SPT) operating at the lambda = 1.3 mu m tele-communication band, was demonstrated by using a windowed-gate double-quantum-well InGaAs/InAlAs/InP heterostructure that was designed to provide near-zero electron g-factor. The g-factor engineering allows selection rules that would convert a photon's polarization to an electron spin polarization. The safe arrival of the photo-electric charge would trigger the commencement of the teleportation algorithm

Role of Boron p-Electrons and Holes in Superconducting MgB2, and other Diborides: A Fully-Relaxed, Full-Potential Electronic Structure Study

We present the results of fully-relaxed, full-potential electronic structure calculations for the new superconductor MgB2, and BeB2, NaB2, and AlB2, using density-functional-based methods. Our results described in terms of (i) density of states (DOS), (ii) band-structure, and (iii) the DOS and the charge density around the Fermi energy EF, clearly show the importance of B p-band for superconductivity. In particular, we show that around EF, the charge density in MgB2, BeB2 and NaB2 is planar and is associated with the B plane. For BeB2 and NaB2, our results indicate qualitative similarities but significant quantitative differences in their electronic structure due to different lattice constants a and c.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, Submitted to Phys Rev. Lett. on March 6, 2001; resubmission on April 2

Myc-binding Protein Orthologue Interacts with AKAP240 In the Central Pair Apparatus of the \u3cem\u3eChlamydomonas\u3c/em\u3e Flagella

Background Flagella and cilia are fine thread-like organelles protruding from cells that harbour them. The typical ‘9 + 2’ cilia confer motility on these cells. Although the mechanistic details of motility remain elusive, the dynein-driven motility is regulated by various kinases and phosphatases. A-kinase anchoring proteins (AKAPs) are scaffolds that bind to a variety of such proteins. Usually, they are known to possess a dedicated domain that in vitro interacts with the regulatory subunits (RI and RII) present in the cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) holoenzyme. These subunits conventionally harbour contiguous stretches of a.a. residues that reveal the presence of the Dimerization Docking (D/D) domain, Catalytic interface domain and cAMP-Binding domain. The Chlamydomonas reinhardtii flagella harbour two AKAPs; viz., the radial spoke AKAP97 or RSP3 and the central pair AKAP240. Both these were identified on the basis of their RII-binding property. Interestingly, AKAP97 binds in vivo to two RII-like proteins (RSP7 and RSP11) that contain only the D/D domain. Results We found a Chlamydomonas Flagellar Associated Protein (FAP174) orthologous to MYCBP-1, a protein that binds to organellar AKAPs and Myc onco-protein. An in silico analysis shows that the N-terminus of FAP174 is similar to those RII domain-containing proteins that have binding affinities to AKAPs. Binding of FAP174 was tested with the AKAP97/RSP3 using in vitro pull down assays; however, this binding was rather poor with AKAP97/RSP3. Antibodies were generated against FAP174 and the cellular localization was studied using Western blotting and immunoflourescence in wild type and various flagella mutants. We show that FAP174 localises to the central pair of the axoneme. Using overlay assays we show that FAP174 binds AKAP240 previously identified in the C2 portion of the central pair apparatus. Conclusion It appears that the flagella of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii contain proteins that bind to AKAPs and except for the D/D domain, lack the conventional a.a. stretches of PKA regulatory subunits (RSP7 and RSP11). We add FAP174 to this growing list

Unusual heavy landing of Decapterus spp. at Visakhapatnam

The Indian scad, Decapterus russelli locally known as pillodugu forms an important seasonal fishing in the small mechanical trawlers of Visakhapatnam contributing about 0.6 to 8.2% of the total catch during the period from 1998 to 2002

Geochemical assessment of a siliceous limestone sample for cement making

A low grade siliceous limestone sample from the Jayantipuram mine of Andhra Pradesh, India, has been investigated for its suitability for cement making. Petrological as well as X-ray diffraction pattern studies indicated that the limestone sample was crystalline and dominantly composed of calcite and quartz. They are simple in mineralogy, and yet they have variable silica and lime contents. Geochemical analysis results of twenty five hand picked samples indicated that the limestone from the Jayantipuram mine shows a wide range of variations in LOI (29.94% to 40.64%), SiO2 (6.14% to 27.18%), CaO (37.93% to 50.78%), Al2O3 (0.49% to 2.27%) and Fe2O3 (0.28% to 2.4%). MgO, K2O, Na2O, TiO2 and MnO2 are present in traces. CaO with LOI shows a strong positive correlation where as CaO with SiO2 shows a strong negative correlation because of mineralogical factors. The chemical composition of the limestone reflects its mineralogical composition. The distribution of various elements in the acid-soluble fraction has been studied by the factor analysis method in order to interpret in terms of their mineralogy, sedimentary environment and diagenesis. Mineralogy, recrystallization and other diagenetic changes are the main factors affecting the distribution of the elements and their mutual relationships in the limestone. The aim of this paper is also to analyze how significantly the two parameters, silica modulus and lime saturation factor, influence this low grade siliceous limestone sample from the Jayantipuram mine of Andhra Pradesh, India, for the cement making process from the geochemical data

Synthesis of gamma ferric oxide by direct thermal decomposition of ferrous carbonate

Ferrous carbonate was precipitated from the reaction of ferrous sulfate and sodium carbonate in an aqueous medium. The precipitate was calcined at different heating rates (2, 5 and 10 °C/min, respectively) up to 500°C and the iron oxides produced were found to be magnetic. X-ray diffraction studies indicated the presence of gamma ferric oxide as a major phase in all the cases. It was found that wet precipitates, faster heating rate and short residence time in the furnace produced gamma ferric oxides with better magnetic properties (coercivity of around 360 Oe and saturation magnetization of 64 emu/g). The effect of aging time of ferrous carbonate precipitates on the magnetic properties was also studied

IgG antibodies against antigens of various mycobactrial species in children and in pre & Post BCG young adults

IgG antibodies against antigens of various mycobacteria were estimated by ELISA in serum samples collected (a) from 36 children (mean age 4.4 years) belonging to Koppur village in the south Indian BCG Trial area, (b) before and after BCG vaccination of 13 young individuals (mean age 16.5 years) belonging to Trivellore in the same area and (c) before and after BCG vaccination from 20 young British subjects (mean age 14.5 years). In the Koppur children, the antibody levels were highest against M. scrofulaceum and M. avium and lowest against M. bovis and M. tuberculosis H37Rv. In these children, there was no correlation between antibody levels and tuberculin reactivity. In the Trivellore subjects, antibody levels were highest against M. bovis BCG and M. gordonae, and lowest against PPD RT22 and M. terrae and none of the differences in the antibody levels against individual antigens between the preand post-BCG serum samples was statistically Significant (p >.05). The British subjects had the highest levels against M. tuberculosis 7219 while the lowest levels were against M. kansasii and M. tuberculosis 51; after BCG v a c c i n a t i o n t h e a n t i b o d y l e v e l s w e r e selectively increased against M. tuberculosis 7219, M. flavescens and M. gordornae (p <0.05)