Manurial value of byproducts of bio-diesel feed stocks on finger millet grain and dry fodder productivity

A replicated field experiment was conducted at Agricultural Research Station (ARS), Madenur located in Hassan District, Karnataka in rainy season during 2007 to assess the manurial value of by-products of bio-diesel feed stocks-pongamia and neem oil seed cakes vis-à-vis conventional plant nutrients sources (combination of farm yard manure and inorganic fertilizers) on the grain and fodder productivity of finger millet, the staple food cereal of southern Karnataka. Grain and dry fodder productivity of finger millet crop grown using pongamia and neem seedoil cakes is comparable to that grown using conventional plant nutrient sources. Application of plant nutrients only through pongamia and neem seed oil cakes resulted in higher available soil Nitrogen, Potassium and Organic Carbon contents

Manurial value of byproducts of bio-diesel feed stocks on finger millet grain and dry fodder productivity

A replicated field experiment was conducted at Agricultural Research Station (ARS), Madenur located in Hassan District, Karnataka in rainy season during 2007 to assess the manurial value of by-products of bio-diesel feed stocks-pongamia and neem oil seed cakes vis-à-vis conventional plant nutrients sources (combination of farm yard manure and inorganic fertilizers) on the grain and fodder productivity of finger millet, the staple food cereal of southern Karnataka. Grain and dry fodder productivity of finger millet crop grown using pongamia and neem seedoil cakes is comparable to that grown using conventional plant nutrient sources. Application of plant nutrients only through pongamia and neem seed oil cakes resulted in higher available soil Nitrogen, Potassium and Organic Carbon contents

Enhancing plant quality and outplanting growth of Acacia auriculiformis in dry wasteland plantations by inoculating a selected microbial consortium in the nursery

In this study, the performance of a selected microbial consortium (Scutellospora calospora + Azotobacter chroococcum + Bacillus coagulans + Trichoderma harzianum) on Acacia auriculiformis A. Cunn. ex Benth. was evaluated through large-scale nursery trials at three locations in the Mandya district of Karnataka state, India. At each location, 500 inoculated and 500 uninoculated seedlings were cultivated. The increase in plant dry biomass of inoculated plants was 31% (mean of three locations) compared with uninoculated plants. The seedlings inoculated with microbial consortium under large-scale nursery trials were planted in wasteland at three locations, and their growth was monitored for nearly 6 years. At the end of the study, field growth of inoculated trees, measured as the biovolume index, was 52% higher than that of uninoculated trees. This study shows that the selected microbial consortium enhances nursery quality and midterm field growth of Acacia auriculiformis plantations on dry wasteland.The accepted manuscript in pdf format is listed with the files at the bottom of this page. The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the manuscript may differ slightly between what is listed on this page and what is listed in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript; that in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript is what was submitted by the author

Superb adsorption capacity of hydrothermally synthesized copper oxide and nickel oxide nanoflakes towards anionic and cationic dyes

The CuO and NiO nanoflakes were synthesized by a hydrothermal reaction. The secondary nucleation and growth of hydroxides resulted in the formation of flake like architectures as the prepared nanoparticles were used as an adsorbent for malachite green oxalate (MGO) and methyl orange (MO). The structure, morphology and surface properties of the nanoparticles were characterized by XRD, SEM and TEM. Effects of the experimental conditions on the adsorption behavior were studied by varying the contact time, initial concentration, initial pH and temperature. The adsorption of MGO increased with increase in the pH, while the MO adsorption showed an opposite trend. The adsorption kinetics was studied in terms of pseudo-first and second-order kinetics, the Langmuir and Freundlich models were also applied to the equilibrium adsorption data. The adsorption process was spontaneous and exothermic in nature and followed the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. Our study indicates that the CuO and NiO nanoflakes can be used as alternative adsorbents for the efficient removal of dyes from an aqueous solution

Antiinflammatory therapy with canakinumab for atherosclerotic disease

BACKGROUND: Experimental and clinical data suggest that reducing inflammation without affecting lipid levels may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Yet, the inflammatory hypothesis of atherothrombosis has remained unproved. METHODS: We conducted a randomized, double-blind trial of canakinumab, a therapeutic monoclonal antibody targeting interleukin-1β, involving 10,061 patients with previous myocardial infarction and a high-sensitivity C-reactive protein level of 2 mg or more per liter. The trial compared three doses of canakinumab (50 mg, 150 mg, and 300 mg, administered subcutaneously every 3 months) with placebo. The primary efficacy end point was nonfatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal stroke, or cardiovascular death. RESULTS: At 48 months, the median reduction from baseline in the high-sensitivity C-reactive protein level was 26 percentage points greater in the group that received the 50-mg dose of canakinumab, 37 percentage points greater in the 150-mg group, and 41 percentage points greater in the 300-mg group than in the placebo group. Canakinumab did not reduce lipid levels from baseline. At a median follow-up of 3.7 years, the incidence rate for the primary end point was 4.50 events per 100 person-years in the placebo group, 4.11 events per 100 person-years in the 50-mg group, 3.86 events per 100 person-years in the 150-mg group, and 3.90 events per 100 person-years in the 300-mg group. The hazard ratios as compared with placebo were as follows: in the 50-mg group, 0.93 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.80 to 1.07; P=0.30); in the 150-mg group, 0.85 (95% CI, 0.74 to 0.98; P=0.021); and in the 300-mg group, 0.86 (95% CI, 0.75 to 0.99; P=0.031). The 150-mg dose, but not the other doses, met the prespecified multiplicity-adjusted threshold for statistical significance for the primary end point and the secondary end point that additionally included hospitalization for unstable angina that led to urgent revascularization (hazard ratio vs. placebo, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.73 to 0.95; P=0.005). Canakinumab was associated with a higher incidence of fatal infection than was placebo. There was no significant difference in all-cause mortality (hazard ratio for all canakinumab doses vs. placebo, 0.94; 95% CI, 0.83 to 1.06; P=0.31). CONCLUSIONS: Antiinflammatory therapy targeting the interleukin-1β innate immunity pathway with canakinumab at a dose of 150 mg every 3 months led to a significantly lower rate of recurrent cardiovascular events than placebo, independent of lipid-level lowering. Copyright © 2017 Massachusetts Medical Society