Effects of naphthalene acetic acid and calcium chloride application on nutrient uptake, growth, yield and post harvest performance of tomato fruit

Tomato plants were foliar sprayed with naphthalene acetic acid (0.02%) and calcium chloride (0.5%, 1%) individually as well as in combination to determine its effect on growth, nutrient uptake, incidence of blossom end rot, fruit yield, and enhancement of shelf life. The results showed increased absorption of calcium in tomato plants and fruits, which were treated with NAA in combination with CaCl2. Higher level of CACl2 (1%) with NAA (0.02%) increased plant growth and yield by improving mineral uptake of tomato plants. The improved calcium absorption also resulted in lowering occurrence of blossom end rot in tomato fruits. In addition, it was also observed that during storage at ambient conditions (20-25 °C) for sixteen days, tomato fruits maintained best quality for longer period of time when treated with calcium chloride (1%) along with naphthalene acetic acid (0.02%) as compared to other treatments. Although, fruit quality was lowered with passage of storage time but tomato fruits from treated plants maintained their quality for longer duration as compared to control

Effect of encapsulated calcium carbide application at different growth stages on potato (Solanum Tuberosum L.) growth, yield and tuber quality

Plant growth substances play a vital role in growth and development of plants and have been implicated intensively and extensively in the vegetable production. In recent years, calcium carbide (CaC2) has proved to be a good source of acetylene (nitrification inhibitor) and ethylene (plant hormone). The experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of encapsulated calcium carbide (ECC) on the growth, yield and tuber quality of potato. ECC was applied @ 60 kg/ha for each treatment except control at different growth stages of potato (sprout development, vegetative growth, tuber initiation, tuber bulking) and their combinations. The results of this work revealed significant effects of ECC application on number of days to sprouting, number of leaves and stems, plant height, tuber size, yield, weight loss %, shrivillage % and reducing sugars of potato while sprouting percentage, disease incidence %, specific gravity, TSS, total starch, non-reducing sugars and total sugars could not demonstrate significant effects of ECC application. Moreover, it was concluded that different growth stages responded differently against ECC, however, vegetative growth stage showed remarkable effects on potato growth, yield and tuber quality compared to all other stages and their combinations. The enhanced growth, yield and quality of potato indicated the possible role of acetylene and ethylene at active growth stages

Calculation of Electric Field Distribution at High Voltage Cable Terminations

High Voltage cables are used for transmission and distribution of electrical power. Such cables are subjected to extensive high voltage testing for performance evaluation and quality control purposes. During such testing, the cable ends have to be prepared carefully to make a proper end termination. Usually deionized water terminations are used for testing XLPE cables. Alternatively conductive paint is used to prepare such a termination. This paper presents an analytical method of calculating the voltage distribution across such a resistive termination when subjected to AC voltage stress. The proposed method is used to determine the effect of different design parameters on voltage and stress distribution on such cable ends. The method is simple and can be used to understand the importance of stress control at a cable termination which constitutes a critical part of such cables.    Keywords: AC voltage distribution, cable terminations, resistive terminations, stress control, XLPE high  voltage cable

Dealing naturally with stumbling blocks on highways and byways of TRAIL induced signaling.

In-depth analysis of how TRAIL signals through death receptors to induce apoptosis in cancer cells using high throughput technologies has added new layers of knowledge. However, the wealth of information has also highlighted the fact that TRAIL induced apoptosis may be impaired as evidenced by experimental findings obtained from TRAIL resistant cancer cell lines. Overwhelmingly, increasing understanding of TRAIL mediated apoptosis has helped in identifying synthetic and natural compounds which can restore TRAIL induced apoptosis via functionalization of either extrinsic or intrinsic pathways. Increasingly it is being realized that biologically active phytochemicals modulate TRAIL induced apoptosis, as evidenced by cell-based studies. In this review we have attempted to provide an overview of how different phytonutrients have shown efficacy in restoring apoptosis in TRAIL resistant cancer cells. We partition this review into how the TRAIL mediated signaling landscape has broadened over the years and how TRAIL induced signaling machinery crosstalks with autophagic protein networks. Subsequently, we provide a generalized view of considerable biological activity of coumarins against a wide range of cancer cell lines and how coumarins (psoralidin and esculetin) isolated from natural sources have improved TRAIL induced apoptosis in resistant cancer cells. We summarize recent updates on piperlongumine, phenethyl isothiocyanate and luteolin induced activation of TRAIL mediated apoptosis. The data obtained from pre-clinical studies will be helpful in translation of information from benchtop to the bedside

Aspects of Tachyonic Inflation with Exponential Potential

We consider issues related to tachyonic inflation with exponential potential. We find exact solution of evolution equations in the slow roll limit in FRW cosmology. We also carry out similar analysis in case of Brane assisted tachyonic inflation. We investigate the phase space behavior of the system and show that the dust like solution is a late time attractor. The difficulties associated with reheating in the tachyonic model are also indicated.Comment: New References added. To appear in Phys. Rev.

Drug Attitude and Adherence: A Qualitative Insight of Patients with Hypertension

The study is aimed to explore the perceptions and experiences of hypertensive patients toward medication use and adherence. The study was qualitative in nature conducted at Sandamen Provisional Hospital of Quetta city, Pakistan; a public hospital catering to the health needs of about 40% of the population. A qualitative approach was used to gain an in-depth knowledge of the issues. Sixteen patients were interviewed, and the saturation point was achieved after the 14th interview. All interviews were audio-taped, transcribed verbatim, and were then analyzed for thematic contents by the standard content analysis framework. Thematic content analysis yielded five major themes. (1) Perceived benefits and risks of medications, (2) physician's interaction with patients, (3) perception toward traditional remedies, (4) layman concept toward medications, and (5) beliefs toward hypertension and its control. The majority of the patients carried specific unrealistic beliefs regarding the long-term use of medication; yet these beliefs were heavily accepted and practiced by the society. The study indicated a number of key themes that can be used in changing the beliefs and experiences of hypertensive patients. Physician's attitude, patient's past experiences, and knowledge related to hypertension were noted as major contributing factors thus resulting in nonadherence to therapy prescribed

Democratic Leadership - A local story

Leadership is traditionally viewed as an individual property and researched from the perspective of behaviours, traits or characteristics that these individuals possess. Notions of democratic leadership can offer early childhood centres a more expansive conception of leadership to include children, teachers and families. This study explores the possibility of positioning all stakeholders in an early childhood centre as leaders by repositioning leadership as a jointly constructed, emergent process. Drawing on an existing feature of the kindergarten programme, that of regular excursions within the local community, connections are interwoven between children’s inquires, democratic principles and elements of place based education. Using narratives from five excursions in the local community the study experiments with Leadership-as-practice to analyse how these excursions fostered democratic and inclusive participation of children and adults. Inquiry as a form of participatory democracy is a key feature of decision-making and provides a common purpose for community excursions while encouraging leadership opportunities. The study reveals the potential of leadership-as-practice, underpinned by democratic values as an approach to leadership in early childhood organisations, enabling leader/follower roles to be blurred and learning to be co constructed during dialogue. The local community holds enormous capacity as a system to facilitate democratic leadership and promote place based learning and citizenship education. This study recognises that democratic leadership exists in tension with current neo liberal beliefs and therefore positions itself as a counter to the current market driven early childhood environment. The underlying belief of this study is that leadership can occur as a collaborative practice, emerging through day to day experiences and seeks to contribute to the slowly emerging body of research concerned with early childhood leadership.

Galaxy Clusters Associated with Short GRBs. II. Predictions for the Rate of Short GRBs in Field and Cluster Early-Type Galaxies

We determine the relative rates of short GRBs in cluster and field early-type galaxies as a function of the age probability distribution of their progenitors, P(\tau) \propto \tau^n. This analysis takes advantage of the difference in the growth of stellar mass in clusters and in the field, which arises from the combined effects of the galaxy stellar mass function, the early-type fraction, and the dependence of star formation history on mass and environment. This approach complements the use of the early- to late-type host galaxy ratio, with the added benefit that the star formation histories of early-type galaxies are simpler than those of late-type galaxies, and any systematic differences between progenitors in early- and late-type galaxies are removed. We find that the ratio varies from R(cluster)/R(field) ~ 0.5 for n = -2 to ~ 3 for n = 2. Current observations indicate a ratio of about 2, corresponding to n ~ 0 - 1. This is similar to the value inferred from the ratio of short GRBs in early- and late-type hosts, but it differs from the value of n ~ -1 for NS binaries in the Milky Way. We stress that this general approach can be easily modified with improved knowledge of the effects of environment and mass on the build-up of stellar mass, as well as the effect of globular clusters on the short GRB rate. It can also be used to assess the age distribution of Type Ia supernova progenitors.Comment: ApJ accepted versio