Effect of chloral hydrate on metabolic rate of Labeo rohita (Ham) and Poecilia reticulata (Peters)

Comparative impact of chloral hydrate anaesthesia on the metabolic rate of Indian major carp Labeo rohita and larvivorous fish Poecilia reticulata was assessed. Observation on the Oxygen Consumption Rate (OCR) revealed that in common guppies OCR was substantially low (1.105 and 1.097 mg/g/hr) at 0.1 and 0.25 g/l concentrations of chloral hydrate as against OCR of 1.487 mg/g/hr in the control. Fry of L. rohita in group showed lower metabolic rates in the control as well as treated conditions as compared to the individuals of this fish. This may be due to sympathetic psychophysiological reflex of grouped fish. Higher dose of chloral hydrate (0.25 g/l) also caused higher OCR probably due to distress. Application of chloral hydrate also favoured lesser release of metabolic wastes (ammonia and carbon dioxide). There was significant positive correlation between time and oxygen consumption, whereas, for time and OCR this relationship was negative. Regression of chloral hydrate doses for OCR and time has also been calculated

Technical Efficiency in North-Western Himalayan Region: A Study of Himachal Pradesh Agriculture

The technical efficiency of Himachal farmers, studied using the frontier production function, has been found to vary widely across cereal crops in the state. It has been found that the average yield of all the major cereal crops is below the national average, except the maize crop, which has been found in surplus in the state. Maize → wheat and paddy → wheat have been noted as the major crop rotations being followed in the study area. The analysis of cross sectional data has revealed inefficiency in terms of inputs application. The mean technical efficiencies have revealed that a considerable portion of frontier output is left untapped, it is 35-42 per cent in maize, 44-50 per cent in paddy and 61-67 per cent in wheat. The ratio of marginal value productivity (MVP) and marginal factor cost (MFC) has been found to be more than one in case of 50 per cent inputs for all the crops. However, the female labour for most of the crops has values less than one and with negative signs as most of the work (agricultural operations) in the hills is being performed by women. The results have indicated that there is a scope to increase the returns from wheat production by using more farmyard manure, chemical fertilizers, male labour, female labour and bullock labour in zone I. Similarly, in the case of maize (local) in zone I, the yield could be increased by increasing the use of more of farmyard manure, chemical fertilizers, male labour and seeds. The analysis has also revealed that a majority of the farmers operate at low level of efficiency due to practising of traditional cultivation methods. It is felt that there is a need to educate females in resource management, preferably through female extension workers.Farm Management, Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies,

Adsorptive iron removal from groundwater

Iron is commonly present in groundwater worldwide. The presence of iron in the water supply is not harmful to human health, however it is undesirable. Bad taste, discoloration, staining, deposition in the distribution system leading to aftergrowth, and incidences of high turbidity are some of the aesthetic and operational problems associated with iron in water supplies. Iron removal from groundwater is, therefore, a major concern for water supply companies using groundwater sources. The WHO recommended guideline value of iron in drinking water is 0.3 mg/l and the EC directive has set a parametric value of 0.2 mg/1. In the Netherlands, the guideline value of iron in drinking water is&le;0.05mg/1 and several Dutch water supply companies are aiming at iron concentrations below 0.03 mg/1 to minimise distribution network maintenance costs. Of the different methods available to control iron in water supplies (oxidation-filtration, ion exchange, lime softening, sub-surface iron removal, and sequestration), aeration followed by rapid sand filtration is the most commonly used. &nbsp; Different mechanisms (physical, chemical, and biological) may contribute to the removal of iron in filters and the dominant mechanism depends on water quality and process conditions applied. Fig. 8. 1 summarises the different mechanisms of iron removal in filters and the steps involved. Under anoxic conditions, adsorption is the only mechanism of iron removal from groundwater. In the presence of oxygen, iron removal can take place via three different mechanisms, namely i) oxidation-floe formation (floe filtration), ii) biological oxidation, and iii) adsorption-oxidation (adsorptive filtration). Under the commonly applied treatment conditions in iron removal plants, the oxidation-floe formation mechanism is commonly believed to be dominant. The adsorptionoxidation mechanism (adsorptive iron removal), however, has several potential advantages over the oxidation-floe formation mechanism, namely longer filter run, shorter filter ripening time, and less backwash water use and sludge production.</p

Preparation of an extruded fish snack using twin screw extruder and the storage characteristics of the product

A value-added extruded fish product was prepared with corn flour (80%) and fish (sciaenid) powder (20%), using a twin-screw extruder. The effect of different parameters like moisture, temperature, fish powder concentration, speed of the extruder and die-diameter on expansion ratio and crisp texture were studied. The storage characteristics of the final product were studied using three different types of packaging under nitrogen flushing. The study revealed that aluminum foil is the best packaging material to keep the product acceptable for more than three months

Synthesis and Characterization of Nickel Ferrite: Role of Sintering Temperature on Structural Parameters

We synthesized Nanocrystalline nickel ferrite powder using co-precipitation method and studied the effect of sintering at 100, 400, 600, 800 °C on the prepared samples. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used to characterize the samples. XRD patterns show crystalline nature of the sample and the spinel structure of NiFe2O4. Particle size and morphology of the nanocrystalline powders were determined by TEM. The average particle sizes were identified to be 10 nm. Results indicate that the chemical synthesis by co-precipitation method leads to obtain nano crystalline nickel ferrite with controllable particle size. When you are citing the document, use the following link http://essuir.sumdu.edu.ua/handle/123456789/3582

Synthesis and Characterization of Nickel Ferrite: Role of Sintering Temperature on Structural Parameters

We synthesized Nanocrystalline nickel ferrite powder using co-precipitation method and studied the effect of sintering at 100, 400, 600, 800 °C on the prepared samples. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used to characterize the samples. XRD patterns show crystalline nature of the sample and the spinel structure of NiFe2O4. Particle size and morphology of the nanocrystalline powders were determined by TEM. The average particle sizes were identified to be 10 nm. Results indicate that the chemical synthesis by co-precipitation method leads to obtain nano crystalline nickel ferrite with controllable particle size. When you are citing the document, use the following link http://essuir.sumdu.edu.ua/handle/123456789/3432

Genetic algorithms for local controller network construction

Local Controller Networks (LCNs) provide nonlinear control by interpolating between a set of locally valid, subcontrollers covering the operating range of the plant. Constructing such networks typically requires knowledge of valid local models. This paper describes a new genetic learning approach to the construction of LCNs directly from the dynamic equations of the plant, or from modelling data. The advantage is that a priori knowledge about valid local models is not needed. In addition to allowing simultaneous optimisation of both the controller and validation function parameters, the approach aids transparency by ensuring that each local controller acts independently of the rest at its operating point. It thus is valuable for simultaneous design of the LCNs and identification of the operating regimes of an unknown plant. Application results from a highly nonlinear pH neutralisation process and its associated neural network representation are utilised to illustrate these issues

Multi-layered molecular mechanisms of polypeptide holding, unfolding and disaggregation by HSP70/HSP110 chaperones.

Members of the HSP70/HSP110 family (HSP70s) form a central hub of the chaperone network controlling all aspects of proteostasis in bacteria and the ATP-containing compartments of eukaryotic cells. The heat-inducible form HSP70 (HSPA1A) and its major cognates, cytosolic HSC70 (HSPA8), endoplasmic reticulum BIP (HSPA5), mitochondrial mHSP70 (HSPA9) and related HSP110s (HSPHs), contribute about 3% of the total protein mass of human cells. The HSP70s carry out a plethora of housekeeping cellular functions, such as assisting proper de novo folding, assembly and disassembly of protein complexes, pulling polypeptides out of the ribosome and across membrane pores, activating and inactivating signaling proteins and controlling their degradation. The HSP70s can induce structural changes in alternatively folded protein conformers, such as clathrin cages, hormone receptors and transcription factors, thereby regulating vesicular trafficking, hormone signaling and cell differentiation in development and cancer. To carry so diverse cellular housekeeping and stress-related functions, the HSP70s act as ATP-fuelled unfolding nanomachines capable of switching polypeptides between different folded states. During stress, the HSP70s can bind (hold) and prevent the aggregation of misfolding proteins and thereafter act alone or in collaboration with other unfolding chaperones to solubilize protein aggregates. Here, we discuss the common ATP-dependent mechanisms of holding, unfolding-by-clamping and unfolding-by-entropic pulling, by which the HSP70s can apparently convert various alternatively folded and misfolded polypeptides into differently active conformers. Understanding how HSP70s can prevent the formation of cytotoxic protein aggregates, pull, unfold, and solubilize them into harmless species is central to the design of therapies against protein conformational diseases