Studies on genetic uniformity of Chowghat Green Dwarf and Malayan Green Dwarf varieties of coconut using molecular and morphometric methods

Two coconut varieties viz., Chowghat Green Dwarf (CGD) and Malayan Green Dwarf (MGD) were subjected to morphometric and molecular studies to assess their genetic uniformity. Since both these varieties possess traits for high yield and resistance to root (wilt) disease, they have already been released for cultivation in the root (wilt) disease prevalent tracts. Forty two CGD palms from ‘disease hotspots’ were analyzed using 43 simple sequence repeat (SSR) primers. Monomorphic bands were detected in all the CGD samples with 41 primers, which is an indication of its genetic uniformity. A single CGD palm showed polymorphism with two SSR primers. Forty eight MGD palms were analyzed using 24 SSR primers. The MGD palms clustered at 62 per cent similarity. Analysis of morphological and fruit component characters of CGD and MGD population revealed that both the populations were phenotypically uniform. Breeding behaviour studies revealed that both CGD and MGD were predominantly self pollinated, like other dwarf varieties of coconut. There was complete overlapping of male and female phases in almost 96 per cent of CGD palms. Almost 100 per cent self-pollination was ensured in these palms as male phase prolonged even after completion of female phase. However, only 60 per cent of the MGD palms showed complete overlapping and in the remaining 40 per cent palms, there was only partial overlapping of male and female phases. From the present study, it is inferred that breeding behavior and genetic uniformity could be highly correlated in coconut. Collection of seed nuts preferably from mother palms with overlapping of male and female phases could possibly ensure production of true to type progenies in dwarf varieties of coconut. Present study also indicated that molecular markers like SSRs may be used to identify genetically pure mother palms for varietal improvement programmes in coconut

Factors Associated with Revision Surgery after Internal Fixation of Hip Fractures

Background: Femoral neck fractures are associated with high rates of revision surgery after management with internal fixation. Using data from the Fixation using Alternative Implants for the Treatment of Hip fractures (FAITH) trial evaluating methods of internal fixation in patients with femoral neck fractures, we investigated associations between baseline and surgical factors and the need for revision surgery to promote healing, relieve pain, treat infection or improve function over 24 months postsurgery. Additionally, we investigated factors associated with (1) hardware removal and (2) implant exchange from cancellous screws (CS) or sliding hip screw (SHS) to total hip arthroplasty, hemiarthroplasty, or another internal fixation device. Methods: We identified 15 potential factors a priori that may be associated with revision surgery, 7 with hardware removal, and 14 with implant exchange. We used multivariable Cox proportional hazards analyses in our investigation. Results: Factors associated with increased risk of revision surgery included: female sex, [hazard ratio (HR) 1.79, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.25-2.50; P = 0.001], higher body mass index (fo

Carotid artery stenting by non-femoral arterial approach in patients with difficult anatomy

Background Carotid endarterectomy (CEA) and carotid artery stenting (CAS) are safe, effective, and standard methods to treat significant carotid artery stenosis. CAS is generally performed through femoral arterial access. We had six patients with significant carotid artery stenosis, who had difficult anatomy prohibiting a trans-femoral CAS. Those patients were given an option for CEA. However, they refused for surgical intervention. Aim We investigated the feasibility of performing CAS from a non-femoral arterial approach in patients with difficult anatomies like severe aortic/aorto-iliac disease, tortuous aortic arch, and tortuous carotid artery origin. Materials and Methods Six patients with difficult anatomy presented to us with either transient ischemic attack or stroke with high-grade carotid artery stenosis. Out of the six patients, three had aorto-iliac disease, one had high-grade coarctation of aorta, two had tortuous aortic arch and or tortuous carotid artery origin. All these patients were treated with CAS though non-femoral arterial route. Results CAS could be done successfully in all these six patients; four of them were done through trans-brachial arterial route and two were done through a direct carotid artery puncture. There were no new neurological deficits seen in any of the patient post-procedure. Conclusion CAS can be done safely through non-femoral arterial approach in patients with difficult anatomy

Production and Evaluation of a Seaweed-Based Bioplastic Sheet for Food Packaging

In 2020, global plastic waste production reached 367 million metric tons, a figure anticipated to escalate in the future. India, ranking fifth worldwide in plastic waste output, confronts significant challenges due to plastic pollution, a pressing environmental issue. Addressing this problem requires a departure from petroleum-based plastics. Seaweed-based bioplastics have emerged as a sustainable alternative, gaining attention for their versatility, particularly in food packaging applications. Approximately 1 kg of wet Kappaphycus alvarezii, a red seaweed, was boiled in 1L of distilled water for 15 minutes and then filtered, yielding roughly 98% crude jelly polysaccharides. The resulting mixture was air-dried, yielding about 5% (50 g dry weight from 1 kg wet weight) of dry crude polysaccharide. To produce bioplastic, 6 g of dry crude polysaccharide was combined with 3 mL of glycerol and 3 mL of vinegar, then mixed in 100 mL of distilled water. The mixture was heated in a water bath at 100°C for 7 to 10 minutes, cast into a sheet, and left to cool for 2 days. Various mechanical properties were evaluated, including a maximum force of 5.85N, tensile stress of 3.65 MPa, tensile strain at the break of 10.38%, and tensile stress at the break of 2.54 MPa, which are critical for assessing materials in food packaging. These parameters provide insights into strength, flexibility, and ultimate stress under tension. Additionally, the identification of functional groups through frequencies and wavelengths, such as OH stretch, C-C stretch, and C-O stretch, offers valuable information on moisture interactions and structural integrity, enhancing the material's suitability for food packaging. Seaweed-derived bioplastics, especially those containing crude carrageenan, offer a sustainable and eco-friendly alternative to traditional plastics. They are biodegradable and renewable, naturally decomposing through microbial and marine organism activity, thereby reducing their environmental impact. Unlike fossil fuel-based plastics, carrageenan-based bioplastics degrade naturally over time. Seaweed-derived carrageenan is deemed safe and compatible with animal consumption. Unlike conventional plastic packaging, seaweed-based plastic does not pose a risk of clogging in the digestive systems of terrestrial or marine animals. This highlights their potential to significantly diminish the ecological footprint associated with plastic waste

Classification of Flying Insects with high performance using improved DTW algorithm based on hidden Markov model

ABSTRACT Insects play significant role in the human life. And insects pollinate major food crops consumed in the world. Insect pests consume and destroy major crops in the world. Hence to have control over the disease and pests, researches are going on in the area of entomology using chemical, biological and mechanical approaches. The data relevant to the flying insects often changes over time, and classification of such data is a central issue. And such time series mining tasks along with classification is critical nowadays. Most time series data mining algorithms use similarity search and hence time taken for similarity search is the bottleneck and it does not produce accurate results and also produces very poor performance. In this paper, a novel classification method that is based on the dynamic time warping (DTW) algorithm is proposed. The dynamic time warping algorithm is deterministic and lacks in modeling stochastic signals. The dynamic time warping (DTW) algorithm is improved by implementing a nonlinear median filtering (NMF). Recognition accuracy of conventional DTW algorithms is less than that of the hidden Markov model (HMM) by same voice activity detection (VAD) and noise-reduction. With running spectrum filtering (RSF) and dynamic range adjustment (DRA). NMF seek the median distance of every reference of time series data and the recognition accuracy is much improved. In this research work, optical sensors are used to record the sound of insect flight, with invariance to interference from ambient sounds. The implementation of our tool includes two parts, an optical sensor to record the "sound" of insect flight, and a software that leverages on the sensor information, to automatically detect and identify flying insects

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