Site specific nutrient management software for coffee

Chemical fertilizers are integral part of agriculture and continue to be inevitable source of nutrients. A site specific soil test based nutrient management system ensures the judicious use of fertilizers by contributing to the sustainable and economic production without polluting the soil resources. Coffee is a major commercial crop of India and the site specific fertilizer recommendations for this crop have proved to have advantages over ‘blanket fertilization’ by improving the fertilizer use efficiency and profitability. The software was designed in such a way that entries corresponding to the block-wise soil test data viz., soil pH, available N, P and K generate necessary information on the quantity of suitable and available fertilizers that need to be applied to each block to meet the demand of the crop and plant

Control of temperature to suppress the population of Rhyzopertha dominica (F.) (Coleoptera, Bostrichidae) in a grain silo prototype

This note presents some results from laboratory experiments that were conducted to characterize the influence of temperature in the mortality of adults of the insect known as lesser grain borer, Rhyzopertha dominica (F.). The insects were separated into strains and were appropriately immersed into a mass of wheat, and the infested wheat was stored in a silo bin of small dimensions with control of temperature. Our experiments indicates that the control of temperature can be used as a successful tool to increase the mortality of R. dominica in grain silos. The paper also describes the construction of the electrical device that implements the control of temperature in the proposed grain silo prototype

Pharmacological and Toxicological effects of Aqueous Acetone Extract of Sida alba L. (Malvaceae) in animals model

The present study was conducted to evaluate the pharmacological and toxic effects of aqueous acetone extract of Sida alba L. a Malvaceae species, in mice Swiss and albinos Wistar rats. In acute toxicity test, mice received doses of this extract by intraperitoneal route with LD50 value of 3200 mg/kg. In sub-acute toxicity test, albinos Wistar rats were treat by gavage during 28 days with different doses of aqueous acetone extracts of Sida alba L., (75, 100 and 150 mg/kg). About to the pharmacological properties, the results varied widely in dose of extract and weight of rats and did not show clinical correlations. We undertook this study of extracts in order to provide a scientific basis for the traditional use of Sida alba L., in traditional medicine particularly to treat hepatitis B. Our results of this study appeared to show the safety of acute and sub-acute toxicities of extract from Sida alba L., which can therefore be continuously used with safety in traditional medicine. Statistical studies revealed that there is a low significant difference in body and organ weights, and biological parameters between control group and the treated assay groups (p<0.01 or p<0.05)

Pharmacological and Toxicological effects of Aqueous Acetone Extract of Sida alba L. (Malvaceae) in animals model

The present study was conducted to evaluate the pharmacological and toxic effects of aqueous acetone extract of Sida alba L. a Malvaceae species, in mice Swiss and albinos Wistar rats. In acute toxicity test, mice received doses of this extract by intraperitoneal route with LD50 value of 3200 mg/kg. In sub-acute toxicity test, albinos Wistar rats were treat by gavage during 28 days with different doses of aqueous acetone extracts of Sida alba L., (75, 100 and 150 mg/kg). About to the pharmacological properties, the results varied widely in dose of extract and weight of rats and did not show clinical correlations. We undertook this study of extracts in order to provide a scientific basis for the traditional use of Sida alba L., in traditional medicine particularly to treat hepatitis B. Our results of this study appeared to show the safety of acute and sub-acute toxicities of extract from Sida alba L., which can therefore be continuously used with safety in traditional medicine. Statistical studies revealed that there is a low significant difference in body and organ weights, and biological parameters between control group and the treated assay groups (p<0.01 or p<0.05)

Laryngeal Vocal And Endoscopic Alterations After Thyroidectomy Under Local Anesthesia And Hypnosedation

Vocal alterations after thyroidectomy are generally related to laryngeal nerve injury or laryngotracheal mobility disorders caused by postoperative fibrosis or strap muscle lesion. Aim: this study aims to evaluate the frequency of vocal and rima glottidis disorders after thyroidectomy. Materials and method: This is a prospective study based on 35 patients submitted to thyroidectomy under local anesthesia and hypnosedation. All patients underwent voice auditory perception evaluation, voice acoustic tests and videolaryngostroboscopy preoperatively, and at one week and at 30 days postoperatively. Bilateral cricothyroid muscle electromyography was performed on the thirtieth day after surgery to confirm the presence of injury in the external branch of the superior laryngeal nerve. Results: 14.3% of the patients presented posterior glottis deviation before surgery and normal electromyography findings. Transient and permanent vocal alteration occurred in 25.7% and 14.2% of the patients respectively. Conclusion: voice disorders evaluated after voice auditory perceptive evaluation and voice acoustic tests were more intense in the group with superior laryngeal nerve external branch injury than in the injury-free dysphonic patient group. Oblique glottis can be present in normal patients; however its onset after thyroidectomy is indicative of superior laryngeal nerve external branch lesion. © Revista Brasileira de Otorrinolaringologia. All Rights reserved.754511516Fernandez, F.H., Cervical block anesthesia in thyroidectomy (1984) Int Surg, 69, pp. 309-311Hochman, M., Fee Jr., W.E., Thyroidectomy under local anesthesia (1991) Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg, 117, pp. 405-407Lo Gerfo, P., Ditkoff, B.A., Chabot, J., Feind, C., Thyroid surgery using monitored anesthesia care: An alternative to general anesthesia (1994) Thyroid, 4, pp. 437-439Sinagra, D.L., Montesinos, M.R., Tacchi, V.A., Moreno, J.C., Falco, J.E., Mezzadri, N.A., Debonis, D.L., Curutchet, H.P., Voice changes after thyroidectomy without recurrent laryngeal nerve injury (2004) Journal of the American College of Surgeons, 199 (4), pp. 556-560. , DOI 10.1016/j.jamcollsurg.2004.06.020, PII S1072751504009342Vellar, I.D., Thomas Peel Dunhill: Pioneer thyroid surgeon (1990) ANZ J Surg, 69, pp. 375-387Hisham, A., Richard, B., Reeve, T., Delbridge, L., Recognition of the avascular space medial to the upper pole of the thyroid and its surgical implications (2000) J Surg, 23 (1), pp. 86-89Lore, J.M., Kokocharov, S.I., Richmond, A., Kaufman, S., Sundquist, N., Thirty-eight-year evaluation of a surgical technique to protect the external branch of the superior laryngeal nerve during thyroidectomy (1998) Annals of Otology, Rhinology and Laryngology, 107 (12), pp. 1015-1022Carrara De Angelis, E., Netto, I.P., Fae, A., Vartanian, J.G., Barros, A.P.B., Correia, L.M., Toledo, R.N., Voice and vocal self-assessment after thyroidectomy (2006) Head & Neck, pp. 1106-1114Stojadinovic, A., Shaha, A.R., Orlikoff, R.F., Nissan, A., Kornak, M.-F., Singh, B., Boyle, J.O., Kraus, D.H., Prospective functional voice assessment in patients undergoing thyroid surgery (2002) Annals of Surgery, 236 (6), pp. 823-832. , DOI 10.1097/00000658-200212000-00015Robinson, J.L., Mandel, S., Sataloff, R.T., Objective voice measures in nonsinging patients with unilateral superior laryngeal nerve paresis (2005) Journal of Voice, 19 (4), pp. 665-667. , DOI 10.1016/j.jvoice.2005.04.001, PII S0892199705000408Hong, K.H., Kim, Y.K., Phonatory characteristics of patients undergoing thyroidectomy without laryngeal nerve injury (1997) Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg, 117, pp. 399-404Arnold, G.E., Physiology and pathology of the cricothyroid muscle (1961) Laryngoscope, 71, pp. 687-753Dedo, H.H., The paralysed larynx: An electromyographic study in dogs and humans (1970) Laryngoscope, 80, pp. 1455-1517Faaborg-Andersen, K., Jensen, A.M., Unilateral paralysis of the superior laryngeal nerve (1964) Acta Otolaryngolol, 57, pp. 155-159Ward, P.H., Berci, G., Calcaterra, T.C., Superior laryngeal nerve paralysis: An often overlooked entity (1977) Transactions of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology, 84 (1), pp. ORL-78-89Adour, K.K., Schneider, G.D., Hilsinger, R.L., Acute superior laryngeal nerve palsy: Analysis of 78 cases (1980) Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg, 88, pp. 418-424Bevan, K., Griffiths, M.V., Morgan, M.H., Cricothyroid muscle paralysis: Its recognition and diagnosis (1989) Journal of Laryngology and Otology, 103 (2), pp. 191-195Jansson, S., Tisell, L.-E., Hagne, I., Sanner, E., Stenborg, R., Svensson, P., Partial superior laryngeal nerve (SLN) lesions before and after thyroid surgery (1988) World Journal of Surgery, 12 (4), pp. 522-527. , DOI 10.1007/BF0165543

Dependence of Variational Perturbation Expansions on Strong-Coupling Behavior. Inapplicability of delta-Expansion to Field Theory

We show that in applications of variational theory to quantum field theory it is essential to account for the correct Wegner exponent omega governing the approach to the strong-coupling, or scaling limit. Otherwise the procedure either does not converge at all or to the wrong limit. This invalidates all papers applying the so-called delta-expansion to quantum field theory.Comment: Author Information under http://www.physik.fu-berlin.de/~kleinert/institution.html . Latest update of paper (including all PS fonts) at http://www.physik.fu-berlin.de/~kleinert/34

Nutritional and mineral composition of Opuntia stricta Haw: Balance of macrominerals, renal function and blood metabolites in sheep

ABSTRACT This study aimed to evaluate the effect of the inclusion of spineless cactus (Opuntia stricta Haw) in the diet of sheep on the balance of macrominerals, renal function, and blood metabolites. Five sheep cannulated in the rumen (61.5±9.5kg body weight) were used in a 5 × 5 Latin square composed of five diets and five experimental periods. The experimental period lasted 105 days, with five periods of 21 days each. Four diets containing levels of spineless cactus (121, 245, 371, and 500g/kg of dry matter (DM)), and a control diet were evaluated. Samples of the ingredients, orts, feces, urine, and blood were collected. Spineless cactus inclusion in sheep diets increased the DM intake, ash, oxalate, and all macrominerals intake (P 0.05). It is possible to verify that the inclusion of spineless cactus, up to the level of 500g/kg of DM in the sheep diets, does not appear to cause damage to the animal’s health. Its inclusion does not compromise kidney function or blood metabolites evaluated herein