Ultraviolet Radiation Detection by Barium Titanate Thin Films Grown by Sol-gel Hydrothermal Method

AbstractFerroelectric Barium titanate, BaTiO3 (BTO) thin film has been prepared successfully by sol-gel hydrothermal method (SG-HT) which combines the basic sol-gel process with hydrothermal treatment. High resolution X-ray diffraction (HR-XRD) study reveals single phase polycrystalline tetragonal structure of the prepared BTO thin film. Optical properties were studied using UV- Visible spectroscopy and band gap was found to be 3.51eV. The I–V characteristics revealed a low dark current (Ioff) of 6.07 × 10-9 A for the prepared BTO thin film which increases to 4.06 × 10-6 A (Ion) by almost three orders of magnitude when illuminated with UV radiation (λ = 365nm, Intensity = 24μW/cm2). The photoconductive gain (K = Ion/Ioff), was found to be 6.7 × 102. It can be clearly seen that the prepared BTO film can be utilized as an efficient Ultraviolet photodetector

Higher yields and profits from new crop rotations permitting integration of mediculture with agriculture in the Indo-Gangetic plains

The results of a survey conducted in 100 villages of 7 districts located in Uttar Pradesh in the central Indo-Gangetic plains on the land cropping pattern and profits to the farmers per unit land and area are presented. It is shown that sugarcane is cultivated in about 19.5% of the land. Rice remains the principal kharif crop in the area, occupying about 76% of land. Conventional rice-wheat/Brassica/legume, rice-potato and rice-mint rotations benefitted farmers to the extent of roughly Rs 30,000 ha−1 year−1. Introduction of new rotations based upon newly available short duration Kosi variety of mint is permitting practice of rice-wheat/Brassica/legume-mint and rice-potato-mint rotations, bringing a profit of approximately Rs 61,000 ha−1 year−1 to the farmers of the area. Future prospects of integration of short duration medicinal and aromatic crops (mediculture) between food grain crops (agriculture) like the above, for the development of agriculture, industry and employment are discussed

Prediction of seedling emergence in onion (Allium cepa) seed lots through saturated salt accelerated ageing test

The emergence of six seed lots of two onion (Allium cepa L.) cultivars Pusa Red and Pusa Madhvi was compared by standard germination, vigour index, germination at non-standard temperatures, accelerated ageing and saturated salt accelerated ageing tests. Germination tests were conducted at standard (20oC) and non-standard temperatures of 15oC, 25oC and 30oC. The accelerated ageing (AA) and saturated salt accelerated ageing (SSAA) tests were performed using four relative humidity levels, viz. standard AA (RH 100%), NaCl (RH 75%), Mg (NO3)2 (RH 53%) and CaCl2 (RH 29%). These vigour tests were able to assess vigour differences among different seed lots. The field emergence percentage ranged from 32% to 55.5% in onion seed lots. Field emergence had non-significant correlation with germination at non-standard temperatures of 15oC, 25oC and 30oC. However, accelerated ageing (RH 100%) and saturated salt accelerated ageing using NaCl (RH 75%) showed positive and significant correlation value of 0.943 and 0.957, respectively. The regression analysis results for onion seed lots revealed that standard germination, accelerated ageing (AA) and saturated salt accelerated ageing (SSAA) test using NaCl (RH 75%) explain 88%, 88% and 91% variation in field emergence, respectively. The results suggest that saturated salt accelerated ageing (SSAA) test using NaCl (RH 75%) is useful vigour tests to predict seedling emergence in onion seed lots

Genetic analysis and molecular mapping of a new fertility restorer gene Rf8 for Triticum timopheevi cytoplasm in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) using SSR markers

A study on mode of inheritance and mapping of fertility restorer (Rf) gene(s) using simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers was conducted in a cross of male sterile line 2041A having Triticum timopheevi cytoplasm and a restorer line PWR4099 of common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). The F1 hybrid was completely fertile indicating that fertility restoration is a dominant trait. Based on the pollen fertility and seed set of bagged spikes in F2 generation, the individual plants were classified into fertile and sterile groups. Out of 120 F2 plants, 97 were fertile and 23 sterile (based on pollen fertility) while 98 plants set ≥5 seeds/spike and 22 produced ≤4 or no seed. The observed frequency fits well into Mendelian ratio of 3 fertile: 1 sterile with χ2 value of 2.84 for pollen fertility and 2.17 for seed setting indicating that the fertility restoration is governed by a single dominant gene in PWR4099. The three linked SSR markers, Xwmc503, Xgwm296 and Xwmc112 located on the chromosome 2DS were placed at a distance of 3.3, 5.8 and 6.7 cM, respectively, from the Rf gene. Since, no known Rf gene is located on the chromosome arm 2DS, the Rf gene in PWR4099 is a new gene and proposed as Rf8. The closest SSR marker, Xwmc503, linked to the Rf8 was validated in a set of Rf, maintainer and cytoplasmic male sterile lines. The closely linked SSR marker Xwmc503 may be used in marker-assisted backcross breeding facilitating the transfer of fertility restoration gene Rf8 into elite backgrounds with ease

Productivity and profitability of aerobic rice (Oryza sativa) as influenced by varieties and integrated nitrogen management

A field experiment was conducted during the kharif seasons of 2009 and 2010 at Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi to study productivity and profitability of aerobic rice as influenced by varieties and integrated nitrogen management. The experimental treatments included 2 rice varieties, viz. Pusa Basmati 1 and Pusa Basmati 1121 and 8 integrated nitrogen management practices, viz. N control (N0); 100% RDN (120 kg N/ha through urea); 75% RDN + 25% N through farmyard manure; 75% RDN + 25% N through green manuring; 75% RDN + 25% N through biofertilizers; 75% RDN + 25% N through vermicompost; 100% N through FYM+GM+BF+VC and 100% N through FYM+GM+BF+VC+ZnSO4. The results showed that rice variety Pusa Basmati 1 out performed Pusa Basmati 1121 in yield attributes, grain yield and harvest indices. Application of recommended dose of nitrogen (RDN) through integrated nitrogen management (INM) approach significantly increased the crop growth parameters, yield attributes, grain as well straw yields and net returns over other INM approaches. Treatment with 100% N by FYM+GM+BF+VC+Zn showed highest crop growth and yield attributes, grain and straw yield and net returns as compared to other integrated nitrogen management treatments, but this treatment was closely followed by 100% N by FYM+GM+BF+VC and 75% RDN + 25% VC during both the years

Yeast homologs of human MCUR1 regulate mitochondrial proline metabolism

Mitochondria house evolutionarily conserved pathways of carbon and nitrogen metabolism that drive cellular energy production. Mitochondrial bioenergetics is regulated by calcium uptake through the mitochondrial calcium uniporter (MCU), a multi-protein complex whose assembly in the inner mitochondrial membrane is facilitated by the scaffold factor MCUR1. Intriguingly, many fungi that lack MCU contain MCUR1 homologs, suggesting alternate functions. Herein, we characterize Saccharomyces cerevisiae homologs Put6 and Put7 of MCUR1 as regulators of mitochondrial proline metabolism. Put6 and Put7 are tethered to the inner mitochondrial membrane in a large hetero-oligomeric complex, whose abundance is regulated by proline. Loss of this complex perturbs mitochondrial proline homeostasis and cellular redox balance. Yeast cells lacking either Put6 or Put7 exhibit a pronounced defect in proline utilization, which can be corrected by the heterologous expression of human MCUR1. Our work uncovers an unexpected role of MCUR1 homologs in mitochondrial proline metabolism. Although some fungal mitochondria lack the calcium uniporter, many intriguingly encode homologs of the uniporter assembly factor MCUR1. Here, the authors show that in budding yeast, the MCUR1 homologs Put6 and Put7 regulate mitochondrial proline metabolism, a function also conserved in human MCUR1