Response of nitrogen fertilizer and legumes residues on biomass production and utilization in rice-legumes rotation

A cropping sequence including rice after winged bean, rice after bush bean, rice after corn, and rice after fallow with varying rates of nitrogen (N) fertilizer were carried out to investigate the effects of legume residues and N fertilizer to clarify dynamics of soil N supply, N utilization in soil-plant system and grain yield of rice. Nitrogen fertilizer was applied in both legumes at rates of 0, 2, 4 and 6 g m(-2). The first crop cycle for rice and corn were fertilized with N fertilizer at rates of 0, 4, 8 and 12 g m(-2) with no chemical fertilizer applied in the 2nd crop cycle for the legumes, corn and rice. In 2010, bush bean and winged bean accumulated 5.0-5.9 and 6.2-6.8 g N m(-2) of which 10.0-29.4 and 21.7-42.1 was derived from N-2 fixation. In 2011, bush bean and winged bean accumulated 4.7-5.6 and 5.8-6.9 g N m(-2) of which 13.2-28.8 and 29.5-41.4 was derived from N-2 fixation and estimated by total N difference method. Higher yield was recorded by rice after winged bean with N at rates of 4, 8 and 12 g N m(-2) during both years. This superior performance of rice after winged bean is likely linked to greater N fixation (21.7-42.1) and N uptake by both legumes. Such tropical legumes that improve productivity of rice might be attractive to farmers who are generally resource-poor farmers. The results revealed that bush bean and winged bean can supply >50 and >95 of N required for rice and can be a viable alternative organic N source to enhance soil fertility and reduce cost

Mechanical behaviour of Ti-Nb-Hf alloys

Ti-(24,26)Nb-(2,4)Hf at.% alloys were designed by assuming that hafnium has a similar effect to zirconium in the Ti-Nb-Zr system. Alloy specimens were produced using vacuum arc melting and subsequently hot-rolled. Uniaxial tensile testing was then performed both at ambient temperature and in liquid nitrogen at −196 °C. While the alloys showed no obvious superelastic behaviour, they exhibited pronounced strain hardening and could achieve high elongations before failure (>30% engineering strain). Post-mortem examination revealed that the mechanism of strain hardening was extensive {332} and/or {211} deformation twinning. Twinning was found to be more prevalent in alloys with 2at.% Hf compared to those with 4at.%. The cryogenic temperature deformation also promoted deformation twinning when compared to ambient temperature results. As is the case with other metastable β-Ti alloys, maintaining control over the precipitation of ω phases was found to be crucial for attaining desirable mechanical behaviour. Further, microstructural engineering and alloying may be used to develop strong, lightweight alloys based on the Ti-Nb-Hf system with beneficial strain hardening characteristics for energy absorption and biomedical applications

Fruit Development, pigmentation and biochemical properties of wax apple as affected by localized application of GA(3) under field conditions

This study investigated the effects of gibberellin (GA(3)) on the fruit development, pigmentation and biochemical properties of wax apple. The wax apple trees were rubbing treated with 0, 20, 50 and 100 mgGA(3)/l under field conditions. The localized application (rubbing) of 50 mg GA(3)/l significantly increased the fruit set, fruit length and diameter, color development, weight and yield compared to the control. In addition, GA(3) treatments significantly reduced the fruit drop. With regard to the fruit quality, 50 mg/l GA(3) treatment increased the juice content, K+, TSS, total sugar and sugar acid ratio of wax apple fruits. In addition, higher vitamin C, phenol, flavonoid, anthocyanin, carotene content, PAL and antioxidant activities were recorded in the treated fruits. There was a positive correlation between the peel colour and TSS content and between the PAL activity and anthocyanin formation in the GA(3)-treated fruit. It was concluded that rubbing with 50 mg/L GA(3) at inflorescence developing point of phloem once a week from the tiny inflorescence bud until the flower opening resulted in better yield and quality of wax apple fruits and could be an effective technique to safe the environment from excessive spray

Controlled release of lysozyme from double-walled poly(Lactide-Co-Glycolide) (PLGA) microspheres

Double-walled microspheres based on poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) are potential delivery systems for reducing a very high initial burst release of encapsulated protein and peptide drugs. In this study, double-walled microspheres made of glucose core, hydroxyl-terminated poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (Glu-PLGA), and carboxyl-terminated PLGA were fabricated using a modified water-in-oil-in-oil-in-water (w1/o/o/w2) emulsion solvent evaporation technique for the controlled release of a model protein, lysozyme. Microspheres size, morphology, encapsulation efficiency, lysozyme in vitro release profiles, bioactivity, and structural integrity, were evaluated. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images revealed that double-walled microspheres comprising of Glu-PLGA and PLGA with a mass ratio of 1:1 have a spherical shape and smooth surfaces. A statistically significant increase in the encapsulation efficiency (82.52 ± 3.28%) was achieved when 1% (w/v) polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and 2.5% (w/v) trehalose were incorporated in the internal and external aqueous phase, respectively, during emulsification. Double-walled microspheres prepared together with excipients (PVA and trehalose) showed a better control release of lysozyme. The released lysozyme was fully bioactive, and its structural integrity was slightly affected during microspheres fabrication and in vitro release studies. Therefore, double-walled microspheres made of Glu-PLGA and PLGA together with excipients (PVA and trehalose) provide a controlled and sustained release for lysozyme

Coronary flow reserve and cardiovascular outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

AIMS: This meta-analysis aims to quantify the association of reduced coronary flow with all-cause mortality and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) across a broad range of patient groups and pathologies. METHODS AND RESULTS: We systematically identified all studies between 1 January 2000 and 1 August 2020, where coronary flow was measured and clinical outcomes were reported. The endpoints were all-cause mortality and MACE. Estimates of effect were calculated from published hazard ratios (HRs) using a random-effects model. Seventy-nine studies with a total of 59 740 subjects were included. Abnormal coronary flow reserve (CFR) was associated with a higher incidence of all-cause mortality [HR: 3.78, 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.39-5.97] and a higher incidence of MACE (HR 3.42, 95% CI: 2.92-3.99). Each 0.1 unit reduction in CFR was associated with a proportional increase in mortality (per 0.1 CFR unit HR: 1.16, 95% CI: 1.04-1.29) and MACE (per 0.1 CFR unit HR: 1.08, 95% CI: 1.04-1.11). In patients with isolated coronary microvascular dysfunction, an abnormal CFR was associated with a higher incidence of mortality (HR: 5.44, 95% CI: 3.78-7.83) and MACE (HR: 3.56, 95% CI: 2.14-5.90). Abnormal CFR was also associated with a higher incidence of MACE in patients with acute coronary syndromes (HR: 3.76, 95% CI: 2.35-6.00), heart failure (HR: 6.38, 95% CI: 1.95-20.90), heart transplant (HR: 3.32, 95% CI: 2.34-4.71), and diabetes mellitus (HR: 7.47, 95% CI: 3.37-16.55). CONCLUSION: Reduced coronary flow is strongly associated with increased risk of all-cause mortality and MACE across a wide range of pathological processes. This finding supports recent recommendations that coronary flow should be measured more routinely in clinical practice, to target aggressive vascular risk modification for individuals at higher risk

Elucidating hepatic lipidosis in stray cats through serum biochemistry, liver histopathology and liver RNA expression of PPAR-δ and PPAR-γ

Early detection of feline hepatic lipidosis (FHL) with appropriate treatment can increase prognosis significantly. This study looks into the serum biochemistry and lipid composition of serum and liver samples in a group of stray cats (N=18) collected from pounds in Klang Valley, Malaysia. Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) in blood serum was used to detect for liver damage possibly due to FHL, confirmed through light microscopy, serum biochemistry (triglyceride, cholesterol, creatinine, and urea), liver triglyceride and cholesterol concentrations, and liver RNA expression of lipid droplet regulators peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs). Differing severity of FHL in samples were divided and grouped using an adapted scoring method observing fatty change of liver (FCL) with trends between FCL groups investigated. Elevated serum ALT reflective of increasing FCL severity was observed with elevated concentrations of liver TAG and cholesterol levels. Serum TAG and cholesterol decreased with heightened FCL pointing to fatty acid oxidation and lipid restoration in the liver, supported by PPAR-γ expression which also propose macrophage activation for liver recovery alongside PPAR-δ for lipogenesis and inflammatory reactions. Elevated serum creatinine and urea levels with increasing FCL severity propose overall intact hepatic function in the stray cat samples

Integrated assessment of social and environmental sustainability dynamics in the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna delta, Bangladesh

Deltas provide diverse ecosystem services and benefits for their populations. At the same time, deltas are also recognised as one of the most vulnerable coastal environments, with a range of drivers operating at multiple scales, from global climate change and sea-level rise to deltaic-scale subsidence and land cover change. These drivers threaten these ecosystem services, which often provide livelihoods for the poorest communities in these regions. The imperative to maintain ecosystem services presents a development challenge: how to develop deltaic areas in ways that are sustainable and benefit all residents including the most vulnerable. Here we present an integrated framework to analyse changing ecosystem services in deltas and the implications for human well-being, focussing in particular on the provisioning ecosystem services of agriculture, inland and offshore capture fisheries, aquaculture and mangroves that directly support livelihoods. The framework is applied to the world’s most populated delta, the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna Delta within Bangladesh. The framework adopts a systemic perspective to represent the principal biophysical and socio-ecological components and their interaction. A range of methods are integrated within a quantitative framework, including biophysical and socio-economic modelling and analyses of governance through scenario development. The approach is iterative, with learning both within the project team and with national policy-making stakeholders. The analysis is used to explore physical and social outcomes for the delta under different scenarios and policy choices. We consider how the approach is transferable to other deltas and potentially other coastal areas