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Not AvailableThe seed-use behaviour of castor growers in Andhra Pradesh was assessed through the response of 192 randomly selected castor growers in Mahabubnagar district of Andhra Pradesh in 2010. In order to understand the productivity potentials and profitability of castor cultivars as vital information necessary for interpreting the seed-use behaviour secondary data pertaining to frontline demonstrations (FLDs) in castor for the period from 1997-98 to 2008-09 was analyzed. Similarly, to understand the operational cost of castor cultivation (` /ha) and output price of castor (` /q) in Andhra Pradesh as support information, secondary data of FLDs in castor for the period from 1994-95 to 2007-08 were analyzed. These analyses revealed that all the castor growers purchase seeds every year. Better performance of the improved cultivars over the locals was the reason for annual seed-purchase behaviour exhibited by all respondents. Peer group, input dealers, extension personnel of State Department of Agriculture (SDA) and progressive farmers were the information source for seed-purchase. Yield, seed weight and extent of seed filling were the major criteria for choosing the improved castor cultivars. Input dealers and SDA were the major sources of seed purchase. The seed source was selected based on the accessibility of the source, timely availability of seeds credibility of the source and adequacy of information about the improved cultivars. GCH-4 and Kranthi were the major castor cultivars used by the castor growers. Susceptibility of the improved cultivars to pest and diseases, lack of guarantee about the performance of the cultivars at the time of seed purchase, lack of awareness about the new cultivars and costliness of the seeds of improved cultivars were the major constraints perceived in use of purchased seeds. Implicative strategies were suggested, based on the results of the study to improve the seed-use behaviour of castor growers in Andhra Pradesh.Not Availabl

Effect of processing on properties of thin walled calandria tubes for pressurised heavy water reactor

Thin walled calandria tubes for pressurised heavy water reactors are manufactured either by seam welding of Zircaloy-4 sheets or by seamless route. In the present study, the effect of processing on the critical properties such as texture, microstructure, hydriding behaviour and residual stress for both the routes as well as the mechanical anisotropy developed due to seam welding are investigated. The properties of the seam welded tube in the fusion and adjoining region are markedly different from the base material and from the seamless tube. Residual stress measurements indicate that heat affected zone (HAZ) of seam welded tubes have longitudinal tensile residual stress and the seamless tubes have uniform compressive stress along the circumference. The phase transition in the presence of residual stresses due to thermal gradient is found to modify the texture in the HAZ. The hydride orientation and mechanical anisotropy in these regions are found to be dependent on the texture of the material.© Elsevie

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Not AvailableIncreased edible oil demand in the country propel to probe the production constraints in oilseeds cultivation. Andhra Pradesh is one of the major states in India in terms of area and production of important oilseed crops. Present study investigates the production constraints faced by the farmers in groundnut, sesame and sunflower cultivation in the state. Stratified multistage random sampling technique was adopted for the sample design encompassing the sample size of 440 oilseed farmers. Sampled farmers were personally interviewed with the help of pre-tested schedules. Garrett’s ranking technique was used to rank the intensity indicated by the respondents among different constraints. To conclude, factors viz., the lower spread of suitable high yielding varieties/hybrids, moisture stress, high costs of production; untimely availability of inputs; low and fluctuating prices were found to be some of the key production constraints confronted at the farm level for the cultivation of all the three important oilseed crops in the state.Not Availabl

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Evaluation of prognostic risk models for postoperative pulmonary complications in adult patients undergoing major abdominal surgery: a systematic review and international external validation cohort study

Background Stratifying risk of postoperative pulmonary complications after major abdominal surgery allows clinicians to modify risk through targeted interventions and enhanced monitoring. In this study, we aimed to identify and validate prognostic models against a new consensus definition of postoperative pulmonary complications. Methods We did a systematic review and international external validation cohort study. The systematic review was done in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. We searched MEDLINE and Embase on March 1, 2020, for articles published in English that reported on risk prediction models for postoperative pulmonary complications following abdominal surgery. External validation of existing models was done within a prospective international cohort study of adult patients (≥18 years) undergoing major abdominal surgery. Data were collected between Jan 1, 2019, and April 30, 2019, in the UK, Ireland, and Australia. Discriminative ability and prognostic accuracy summary statistics were compared between models for the 30-day postoperative pulmonary complication rate as defined by the Standardised Endpoints in Perioperative Medicine Core Outcome Measures in Perioperative and Anaesthetic Care (StEP-COMPAC). Model performance was compared using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROCC). Findings In total, we identified 2903 records from our literature search; of which, 2514 (86·6%) unique records were screened, 121 (4·8%) of 2514 full texts were assessed for eligibility, and 29 unique prognostic models were identified. Nine (31·0%) of 29 models had score development reported only, 19 (65·5%) had undergone internal validation, and only four (13·8%) had been externally validated. Data to validate six eligible models were collected in the international external validation cohort study. Data from 11 591 patients were available, with an overall postoperative pulmonary complication rate of 7·8% (n=903). None of the six models showed good discrimination (defined as AUROCC ≥0·70) for identifying postoperative pulmonary complications, with the Assess Respiratory Risk in Surgical Patients in Catalonia score showing the best discrimination (AUROCC 0·700 [95% CI 0·683–0·717]). Interpretation In the pre-COVID-19 pandemic data, variability in the risk of pulmonary complications (StEP-COMPAC definition) following major abdominal surgery was poorly described by existing prognostication tools. To improve surgical safety during the COVID-19 pandemic recovery and beyond, novel risk stratification tools are required. Funding British Journal of Surgery Society