Evaluation of different cultivars of sorghum for fodder quality and agronomic performance in Semi-Arid Tropics

Thirty four improved sorghum cultivars were evaluated for fodder quality and agronomic performance using two cuts harvested during the rainy season 2014 at ICRISAT, Patancheru following randomized complete block design with two replications. Within cuts consistent significant cultivar difference were only observed for biomass yields which ranged from 17.3 - 33.8 t ha-1 in the first cut to 3.2 and 17.4 t ha-1 in the second cut. Within and across cuts cultivar-dependent variations in fodder quality traits were statistically largely insignificant and inconsistent

Effect of Feeding Differently Processed Sweet Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) Bagasse Based complete Diet on Nutrient Utilization and Microbial N Supply in Growing Ram Lambs

This study was carried out to identify appropriate processing method for efficient utilization of sweet sorghum bagasse (SSB), an agro-industrial by product of ethanol industry after blending with concentrate. SSB based complete diet with roughage to concentrate ratio of 50:50 was processed into mash (SSBM), expander extruded pellet (SSBP), chop form (SSBC) and evaluated in comparison to sorghum stover based complete diet in mash form (SSM). Twenty four Nellore X Deccani ram lambs (9 month age; 21.1 ± 0.57 kg body weight) were randomly divided into four groups of six animals each and the experimental complete diets were allotted at random to each group and evaluated for their intake, nutrient utilization and microbial N supply. Among all the groups, the average dry matter (DM) intake (g/kg w0.75), digested DM, organic matter and crude protein were higher (P < 0.01) in lambs fed SSBP diet. The cellulose digestibility was higher (P < 0.05) in lambs fed SSBP diet than those fed SSM and SSBC diets. Intake of digestible crude protein (DCP, g/d) and metabolizable energy (MJ/d) were higher (P < 0.01) in lambs fed SSBP diet. The SSBP diet had higher (P < 0.01) DCP and N (P < 0.05) balance compared to other three diets. Increased (P < 0.01) purine derivatives and microbial N supply was observed in processed diets. Expander extrusion of SSB based complete diet resulted in improved (P < 0.01) efficiency of microbial protein synthesis. It is concluded that, when SSB was processed into complete diets, in terms of nutrient utilization and microbial N supply, the expander extruded pellet diet was better utilized than chopped or mash form by the growing ram lambs

Spatial and temporal variation of fish assemblage associated with aquatic macrophyte patches in the littoral zone of the Ayapel Swamp Complex, Colombia

ABSTRACT: Aim: The purpose of the present study was to examine spatial and temporal variation in fish assemblage structure associated with aquatic macrophytes in the littoral zone of the ASC. Methods: Specimens were caught between January 2008 and February 2009, over four limnimetric moments, using both cast net and seine net. Data on the temperature, electrical conductivity, pH and dissolved oxygen was recorded for the characterization of the water mass in the sites. Results: A total of 34,151 specimens from 44 species were collected. The most abundant species were Eigenmannia virescens, Astyanax caucanus, Astyanax fasciatus, Roeboides dayi and Cyphocharax magdalenae, which together accounted for more than 75% of the sample. Temporal and spatial comparisons showed variation in the environmental conditions and highlighted the existence of heterogeneous abiotic conditions (p0.05) regarding the fish assemblage structure. The multivariate analysis showed no significant relationship between existing environmental conditions and the fish assemblage (p=0.04). The analysis also showed the absence of a relationship between the fish assemblage and environmental variables with respect to the flood pulse and sampling sites (p>0.05). Conclusion: The uniformity of the fish communities that inhabit aquatic macrophyte patches in the littoral region of the ASC may be related to the availability of suitable habitat in structural terms, that probably supports a more abundant and varied wildlife

Hydrologic risk analysis in the Yangtze River basin through coupling Gaussian mixtures into copulas

Natural Sciences Foundation, Natural Science and Engineering Research Council of Canad

Risk profiles and one-year outcomes of patients with newly diagnosed atrial fibrillation in India: Insights from the GARFIELD-AF Registry.

BACKGROUND: The Global Anticoagulant Registry in the FIELD-Atrial Fibrillation (GARFIELD-AF) is an ongoing prospective noninterventional registry, which is providing important information on the baseline characteristics, treatment patterns, and 1-year outcomes in patients with newly diagnosed non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). This report describes data from Indian patients recruited in this registry. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 52,014 patients with newly diagnosed AF were enrolled globally; of these, 1388 patients were recruited from 26 sites within India (2012-2016). In India, the mean age was 65.8 years at diagnosis of NVAF. Hypertension was the most prevalent risk factor for AF, present in 68.5% of patients from India and in 76.3% of patients globally (P < 0.001). Diabetes and coronary artery disease (CAD) were prevalent in 36.2% and 28.1% of patients as compared with global prevalence of 22.2% and 21.6%, respectively (P < 0.001 for both). Antiplatelet therapy was the most common antithrombotic treatment in India. With increasing stroke risk, however, patients were more likely to receive oral anticoagulant therapy [mainly vitamin K antagonist (VKA)], but average international normalized ratio (INR) was lower among Indian patients [median INR value 1.6 (interquartile range {IQR}: 1.3-2.3) versus 2.3 (IQR 1.8-2.8) (P < 0.001)]. Compared with other countries, patients from India had markedly higher rates of all-cause mortality [7.68 per 100 person-years (95% confidence interval 6.32-9.35) vs 4.34 (4.16-4.53), P < 0.0001], while rates of stroke/systemic embolism and major bleeding were lower after 1 year of follow-up. CONCLUSION: Compared to previously published registries from India, the GARFIELD-AF registry describes clinical profiles and outcomes in Indian patients with AF of a different etiology. The registry data show that compared to the rest of the world, Indian AF patients are younger in age and have more diabetes and CAD. Patients with a higher stroke risk are more likely to receive anticoagulation therapy with VKA but are underdosed compared with the global average in the GARFIELD-AF. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION-URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01090362

On the little-known hyporheic biodiversity of India, with annotated checklist of copepods and bathynellaceans (Crustacea) and a note on the disastrous implications of indiscriminate sand mining

The vast and ecologically diversified hyporheic realm and the adjacent riparian areas of India have received scant attention from the standpoint of biodiversity studies. Analysis of about 2500 samples collected from the alluvial sediments of certain rivers and streams, besides some bores in the riparian zone, mainly in the coastal deltaic belt of the rivers Krishna and Godavari in Andhra Pradesh State during 2000-2012 yielded 41 copepod and bathynellacean species. Of these, 31 new species have been formally described during the ongoing studies whereas the remainder are previously known ones. An annotated checklist of all these taxa is presented, giving the type locality and other localities of occurrence, methods of sampling, chief references, and also some taxonomic and/or ecological remarks wherever necessary. The harpacticoid copepod family Parastenocarididae and the eumalacostracan order Bathynellacea are two significant, major groups of stygofauna that have been recorded for the first time from India. Both these groups and also some cyclopoid copepods have clear-cut Gondwanan lineages, representing the remnants of unique ancient fauna that require urgent attention from conservationists in order that the overall evolutionary history of the Indian biota is preserved. A note is also added on the devastating influence of the ongoing rampant sand mining activity on the hyporheic biodiversity

Not Available

Not AvailableA growth and digestibility study was conducted using Osmanabadi goat male kids by feeding complete diets in the form of mash or expander extruded pellets containing different levels of red gram (Cajanus cajan) straw (RGS). Two iso-nitrogenous complete diets were prepared by incorporating RGS at 35% and 50% levels. Half the quantity of each complete mash feed was then converted into pellets through expander extruder processing. Thirty two kids of 4 to 5 months age were divided into four groups of eight each and were fed for 150 d with four experimental diets (T1: mash with 35% RGS, T2: mash with 50% RGS, T3: pellets with 35% RGS and T4: pellets with 50% RGS). Pelleting of complete diets significantly (p<0.001) increased the voluntary feed intake (671.45 vs 426.28 g/d) at both levels of RGS in the feeds. Average daily gain (ADG, g/d) also increased significantly (p<0.001) from 48.79 in kids fed mash diet to 71.29 in those fed with pelleted diets. Feed conversion efficiency (dry matter (DM) intake: weight gain) was comparable among all the treatment groups. Digestibility of nutrients was not affected by pelleting of the feeds whereas, increasing the level of inclusion of RGS in feeds from 35% to 50% decreased (p<0.05) the digestibility of DM and crude protein (CP) resulting in lower (p<0.001) metabolizable energy (ME) content (MJ/kg DM) in feeds with 50% RGS (7.93 vs 8.75). Daily intake (MJ/kg BW−0.75) of ME decreased (p<0.05) in feeds containing 50% RGS while pelleting of feeds increased (p<0.05) the intake of DM, CP, digestible crude protein (DCP) and ME. It is inferred that expander extruder pelleting can efficiently utilize RGS up to 50% level in complete diets for growing goat kids.Not Availabl