Correlation and path coefficient analysis of yield components in cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.)

Phenotypic correlations and their direct and indirect effects were estimated with twenty traits of 151 cocoa trees using path analysis. A high coefficient of phenotypic correlation was found between, tree girth, pod length, pod weight, pod volume, number of beans per pod, wet bean weight per pod before and after fermentation, dry bean weight per pod, single wet bean weight, single dry bean weight, number of pods per tree and polyphenol content exhibited highly significant positive correlation with the dry bean yield per tree. However, path analysis revealed that jorquetting height, tree girth, number of fan branches, pod girth, pod volume, pod wall thickness at furrows, wet bean per pod weight after fermentation, dry bean weight per pod, number of pods per tree, shelling percentage, fat content and polyphenol exhibited significance at high level in positive direction

Papillary thyroid cancer: sporadic or inherited?

Background: Papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) is one of the most common thyroid malignancies, with an increase in incidence rates over the past few decades. Although the exact cause of thyroid cancer in most patients is still unclear, the possibility of genetic predisposition to PTC cannot be overlooked. Here, we report a case study of PTC, in which the family was extensively affected, with each family member diagnosed with either benign or malignant thyroid neoplasms, or functional thyroid disorder.Method: A 57-year-old white female with a past medical history of hypothyroidism, and a significant family history of multiple thyroid cancers, was found to have new onset thyroid nodules during a routine screening ultrasound. Fine needle aspiration revealed suspicious papillary carcinoma (follicular variant). The patient underwent total thyroidectomy.Results: The histology report revealed total colloid nodules in the right lobe with focal calcification, lymphocytic thyroiditis, and two foci of papillary microcarcinoma. The patient subsequently underwent radioactive iodine ablation therapy, along with pilocarpine and thyrogen injection.Conclusion: This case study illustrates the need for awareness of the possibility of genetic predisposition to, as well female preponderance of, familial PTC.Keywords: papillary thyroid cancer, familial, sporadic, genetic associatio

Environment-Dependent Breakage Rates in Ball Milling

Breakage rates of particles in a ball mill change with instantaneous particle size distribution in the mill. Slurry density and the presence of a grinding aid also affect breakage rates substantially. The effect of these variables, which constitute the mill environment, on breakage rates has been quantified with a unique estimation method known as the G-H method. This method enables the estimation of breakage rates of all size intervals by a simple linear graphical scheme. In general, breakage rates of coarse particles increase in the presence of fine particles, while the rates of fine particles remain relatively unaffected. Grinding aid restores the fluidity of the solid-liquid mixture even at very high percent solids and so the rate of grinding returns to ‘normal’ from ‘erratic’ behavior

Development of a multicomponent-multisize liberation model

Journal ArticleThis paper is concerned with the development of a kinetic model for mineral liberation by grinding. Existing population balance size reduction models are extended to include two minerals with an arbitrary number of locked particle fractions. The validity of this approach to liberation modelling is demonstrated for the ball mill grinding of a copper ore in batch laboratory and continuous pilot plant mills

Variability for Qualitative and Quantitative Traits in Glory Lily (Gloriosa superba L.)

Glory lily (Gloriosa superba L.) is one of the major medicinal plants of India cultivated for its seeds which are exported to developed countries for pharmaceutical use. Identifying germplasm is an important component for efficient and effective management of plant genetic resources. Variability for qualitative and quantitative traits was investigated in 18 genotypes of G. superba collected from different regions of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. For qualitative traits, these genotypes were subjected to diversity analysis based on NBPGR descriptors. Fourteen qualitative and twenty quantitative traits of G. superba were evaluated to assess morphological variations among the genotypes collected. In qualitative traits, a large number of genotypes of the 18 clustered together, at 77% similarity in two clusters. Dendrogram constructed on the basis of twenty quantitative traits for the same set of genotypes did not reveal any clear pattern in grouping, and the genotypes were grouped into seven different clusters. Cluster analysis based on qualitative and quantitative traits revealed a different group of genotypes for each of the data-set. This clearly indicated that less variation existed between genotypes with respect to morphological traits. These easily observable morphological traits are useful tools for preliminary evaluation, because, they offer a fast and reliable approach for assessing extent of diversity in G. superba genotypes

Analyzing Variability in Coleus forskohlii Briq. Using RAPD Markers

Coleus forskohlii Briq. is an indigenous medicinal plant with high traditional use in India. Genetic analysis of 37 diverse C. forskohlii genotypes was performed using 25 RAPD primers, which yielded 117 bands, of which 60 (51.28%) were polymorphic providing an average of 3.75 bands per primer. There were no genotype-specific products. The number of bands per primer varied from 1 (OPZ 8&16) to 7 (OPZ 11). Similarity matrix was constructed using Jaccard's Coefficient and the data matrix of coefficient of similarity was subjected to cluster analysis using unweighted pair group methodology with arithmetic average (UPGMA). Cluster analysis resulted in grouping of 37 genotypes into two major clusters. The results indicated that RAPD could be used for genetic diversity analysis in C. forskohlii using higher number of primers as it is reliable, easy, rapid and cost-effective

Responses of mixed light-emitting diode ratios on vegetative, flower regulation, and stalk elongation of cut chrysanthemum (Dendranthema grandiflora Tzvelev)

A Greenhouse experiment on the study of responses of mixed light-emitting diode ratios in cut chrysanthemum (Dendranthema grandiflora Tzvelev) was conducted at the Department of Floriculture and Landscape Architecture, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore during 2019-20. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Block Design with three replications. The treatment comprises of seven varied light-emitting diode irradiance levels viz., L1 – 100% White; L2 – 100% Red; L3 -  80% Red + 20% Blue; L4 – 80% Red + 20% Far-red; L5 – 75% Blue + 25% Far-red; L6 – 60% Red + 20% Blue + 20% Far-red; L7 - High pressure sodium vapour lamp (as check) in Salvador and Pusa Centenary varieties. The results revealed that the growth in terms of height of the chrysanthemum at critical stages was maximum (48.88 cm in Salvador and 41.92 cm in Pusa Centenary) under the light irradiance of B75FR25 (L5) during the peak vegetative stage and registered maximum leaf area. Highest internodal length  up to 3rd leaf of 1.07 cm was registered in sodium vapour lamp irradiance (L7) and 1.39 cm in 100% Red irradiance (L2). The early flower bud emergence (39 days in Salvador and 50 days in Pusa Centenary) was observed in B75Fr25 spectral irradiance (L5). The highest total cut stem yield per square meter (42.65 in Salvador and 41.99 in Pusa Centenary) was registered in R80B20. The study revealed that blue LEDs combined with Far-red promoted early flowering and inhibited stem elongations. Red and Blue wavelength increased the total leaf area and registered improved flower yield.

Ca & Sr dynamics in the Indogangetic plains: different sources and mobilization processes in northwestern India

The leachable fraction of the sediments from the Thar Desert fringe and the adjacent Ganges alluvial plains, has been studied to determine the sources and the processes responsible for the mobilization of Ca and Sr using Sr isotopes and Ca/Sr ratios. In the desert the leachable fraction of the soil/sediments is probably derived from mixing of old marine carbonates, microfossils with the sea-spray of the Arabian Sea and rainwater. Aeolian reworking of soil carbonates of this mixed origin could have provided the carbonate found at the desert fringe. The sub-humid zone of the Gangetic plains, just outside the desert fringe, has relatively higher 87Sr/86Sr ratios with lower Ca/Sr ratios, indicating silicate weathering as the major contributor of leachable fraction. The spatial geochemical differences could also be related to the ineffectiveness of dust transport and accumulation processes in the humid Ganga plain. The 87Sr/86Sr ratio of the present-day dust leachate from the polluted city of Delhi indicates that its Sr source is petroleum burnt residues

Improving Energy Efficiency Via Optimized Charge Motion and Slurry Flow in Plant Scale Sag Mills

A research team from the University of Utah is working to make inroads into saving energy in these SAG mills. In 2003, Industries of the Future Program of the Department of Energy tasked the University of Utah team to build a partnership between the University and the mining industry for the specific purpose of reducing energy consumption in SAG mills. A partnership was formed with Cortez Gold Mines, Outokumpu Technology, Kennecott Utah Copper Corporation, and Process Engineering Resources Inc. At Cortez Gold Operations the shell and pulp lifters of the semiautogenous grinding mill was redesigned. The redesigned shell lifter has been in operation for over three years and the redesigned pulp lifter has been in operation for over nine months now. This report summarizes the dramatic reductions in energy consumption. Even though the energy reductions are very large, it is safe to say that a 20% minimum reduction would be achieved in any future installations of this technology