Yield and quality attributes with seasonal variation in Napier Bajra hybrid (Pennisetum purpureum × Pennisetum glaucum) under different nitrogen environments

Field experiment was conducted during kharif season of 2013 in randomized block design using three nitrogen doses (50, 75 and 100 kgN/ha) with three replications for Napier Bajra hybrid. Three nitrogen fertilizers, potassium nitrate (KNO3), urea [CO(NH2)2] and ammonium sulphate [(NH4)2SO4] were used in divided doses. The crop was harvested four times in different seasons. Growth attributes viz. plant height (72.6cm), number of tillers per plant (20.1) and leaf length (91.2) found highest at 100 kgN/ha doses and maximum values were recorded in monsoon season. Green fodder yield (321.0 q/ha) and dry fodder yield (79.6 q/ha) were recorded highest with KNO3 fertilization and found maximum in monsoon season. Among all the harvest seasons, crude protein yield (19.1 q/ha) was observed maximum in summer season. Quality attributes viz. ether extract (2.6%), ash content (12.9%) and in vitro dry matter digestibility (62.6%) were observed highest in summer season. Crude fibre, neutral detergent fibre and acid detergent fibre decreased with increased level of nitrogen doses and observed maximum in monsoon season

Evaluation of Quality Traits of Nitrogen Treated Napier Bajra Hybrid Plants in Different Cuts Using Different Nitrogen Sources

Napier Bajra Hybrid, cv PBN-233 is a inter-specific hybrid between Pennisetum glaucum × Pennisetum purpureum. It is an important fast growing multi-cut fodder crop and provides fodder from April to November. It is widely distributed in sub-tropical regions of Asia, Africa, southern Europe and America. Nitrogen (N) is a fundamental regulator of plant growth and its supply strongly influence plant growth. In general, the availability of the nutrients influences the quality of various crops. Due to this reason, nitrogen fertilizers were increasingly used in agricultural sectors around the world. Some researchers reported that forage quality increased with nitrogen fertilization but nitrogen use efficiency declined. The increase in nitrogen fertilization improved considerably nitrogen uptake and would contributed to large photosynthetic activity and synthesis of higher protein content. Forages with high concentrations of crude protein (CP) considered of high quality because feeding high protein forage cut down the need of supplementary protein. Generally, high protein forages are more digestible and provide more energy than low protein forages. CP content generally decreased with the advancement of the plant growth due to synthesis of structural carbohydrates with advancing plant age. The declined protein content concentration was also attributed to reduction in leaf to stem ratio with advancing age. Neutral detergent fibre (NDF) and acid detergent fibre (ADF) are regarded as good indicators of forage quality because of their negative relation to digestibility in animals. Low NDF containing forage preferred by animals than high NDF ones. High NDF content in forages not only decreased intake, but also reduces the availability of energy for higher milk production. Increased supply of nitrogen and other nutrients increased the protein content whereas decreased the NDF and ADF content. Therefore, an attempt was made to evaluate the effect of different nitrogen levels and sources on quality traits of Napier Bajra hybrid in different cuts

Fodder Yield and Quality of Lucerne (\u3cem\u3eMedicago sativa\u3c/em\u3e) Grown as Pure Stands and in Mixture with Oats (\u3cem\u3eAvena sativa\u3c/em\u3e), Mustard (\u3cem\u3eBrassica campestris\u3c/em\u3e) and Ryegrass (\u3cem\u3eLolium perenne\u3c/em\u3e) under Different Cutting Managements

Legume-cereal mixtures are important protein and carbohydrate sources for livestock and provide a balanced chemical composition for livestock feeding along with higher green forage yields than the pure stands (Berdahl et al. 2001; Albayrak and Ekiz, 2005). Lucerne is the most important rabi legume crop of Punjab grown under limited irrigation conditions and provides succulent, palatable and nutritious fodder to dairy animals. The fodder yield of first cut of lucerne is very low so it is usually grown in mixture with oats and or mustard. The information on the mixtures of lucerne and suitable cutting times is scant. This study was conducted to assess fodder yield and quality of lucerne mixtures with ryegrass, oat and mustard along with the effects of cutting time

\u3ci\u3eCivil Society, Conflict and Violence\u3c/i\u3e

Editors: Wolfgang Dörner and Regina A. List Chapter 6, The Law, Security and Civil Society Freedoms, co-authored by Brett Kyle, UNO faculty member. This book looks at the role that civil society organizations play in dealing with conflict and violence. The authors argue that in most of the prevalent conceptualizations the conflict dimension of civil society is either downplayed or inadequately addressed. They contend that the ability to deal with conflict is at the heart of organized civil society; in the political process, one of civil society\u27s key functions is to express and mediate between different interests, thus contributing to political decision-making. The chapters draw on detailed, empirical data from the CIVICUS Civil Society Index - a unique comparative data-set drawn from 25 countries, which has not previously been made publicly available. It examines the different ways violence has been manifested in civil societies, the meaning of violent protest and the impact of security legislation that might hinder the mediating efforts of civil society. The book offers a sophisticated comparison between conflict and post-conflict countries and an analysis of the role of civil society in conflict resolution, reconciliation and transitional justice.https://digitalcommons.unomaha.edu/facultybooks/1307/thumbnail.jp

Forage Production Potential and Nitrate Nitrogen in Napier Bajra Hybrid as Influenced by Nitrogen Dose under Shaded and Un-Shaded Environments

Dairy farming is an important and prevalent subsidiary occupation along with agriculture in the state of Punjab. But because of declining land holding, the pressure on land is so high that there is little scope of expanding the area under forage crops. Crop intensification either in space (intercropping) or in time (sequential cropping) or both is the feasible option left to the farmers for enhancing the fodder production. The green fodder is deficit by about 25% in the state and there is around 65,000 ha area under Agroforestry. There is a need to explore possibility of growing fodder crops under shade of trees, as light intensity is one of the major growth resources that determine the productivity of a particular crop (Dodd et al., 2005). Data are also lacking about how fodder crops will respond to different amounts of N fertilization under shade conditions. Napier Bajra is an inter-specific hybrid between bajra (Pennisetum glaucum) and napier grass (P. purpureum) and combines high quality and faster growth of bajra with the deep root system of napier grass. It is photosensitive and flowers only in winter. Due to this characteristic, it remains in the vegetative stage throughout the year, except in winter, when it is dormant. With these points in mind, the present study was planned to find out the influence of shading in comparison with normal conditions on forage productivity and quality under varying nitrogen levels

Vitamin D deficiency, endothelial function and bone biomarkers in post-kidney transplantation patients from North India.

PURPOSE: CKD patients after kidney transplantation continue to suffer from elevated CV events which may be related to low vitamin D and its adverse impact on vascular function. The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in North Indian kidney transplantation patients and its impact on vascular and bone biomarkers is unknown which this study investigated. METHODS: Non-diabetic, stable, > 6 months post-kidney transplantation patients, not on vitamin D supplementation, were recruited after informed consent. Data on demographics, anthropometrics and treatment were collected. Blood samples were stored at - 80 °C until analysis for bone and endothelial cell biomarkers using standard ELISA techniques. RESULTS: The clinical characteristics were: age 37.4 ± 9.9 years, 80% men, 27% ex-smokers, BP 125.5 ± 15.7/78.6 ± 9.7 mmHg, cholesterol 172.0 ± 47.8 mg/dL, hemoglobin 12.6 ± 2.3 g/dL, calcium 9.5 ± 0.6 mg/d and iPTH 58.4 ± 32.9 ng/mL and vitamin D 36.5 ± 39.8 nmol/L. Patients with vitamin D < 37.5 nmol/L (66%) had similar age, serum creatinine, serum phosphate, iPTH, blood pressure but lower calcium (9.3 ± 0.7 vs. 9.6 ± 0.5 mg/dL; p = 0.024), lower FGF23 (median 18.8 vs. 80.0 pg/mL; p = 0.013) and higher E-selectin (15.8 ± 7.9 vs. 13.0 ± 5.5 ng/mL; p = 0.047). On Univariate analysis, E-selectin (r = - 0.292; p = 0.005), FGF23 (r = 0.217; p = 0.036) and calcium (r = 0.238; p = 0.022) were significantly correlated with vitamin D levels. On stepwise multiple regression analysis, only E-selectin was associated with vitamin D levels (β = - 0.324; p = 0.002). CONCLUSION: Vitamin D deficiency was common in kidney transplant recipients in North India, associated with low FGF23 and high E-selectin. These findings suggest further investigations to assess the role of vitamin D deficiency-associated endothelial dysfunction, its implications and reversibility in kidney transplantation recipients

The involvement of reactive oxygen species in causing chronic cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases and some cancers

An increase in the occurrence of different infectious and chronic diseases as well as aging population has resulted in poor human health and decline in the quality of life all over the world. In fact, chronic diseases, which are partially resistant to currently available drugs are long lasting health hazards and require ongoing medical attention. Major causes of increase in these diseases are considered to be changes in the environment as well as diets and lifestyle. Particularly, there has been changes from a simple, nutritious, lowcalorie diet and active lifestyle to a complex and processed food rich in high calories accompanied by a sedentary lifestyle and unhealthy living habits. Since high-calorie diets and inactive lifestyle are known to promote the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the body, it is likely that oxidative stress and associated inflammation may be intimately involved in enhancing the resistance of several disorders to the existing therapeutic interventions and thus promoting the occurrence of chronic diseases. A thorough review of literature regarding the pathogenesis of some major chronic diseases including cardiovascular disease like heart failure, neurodegenerative disorder like Alzheimer's disease and various types of cancer has revealed that these health hazards are associated with increased oxidative stress, production of pro-inflammatory chemicals such as nitric oxide and some cytokines, as well as formation of some toxic substances such as advanced glycation end products. It is thus evident that extensive research work by employing genetic, immunological and nutraceutical approaches, needs to be carried out for developing some novel antioxidants with anti-inflammatory activities for reducing the incidence of chronic diseases. In the meantime, it would be prudent for patients with chronic diseases to pursue the preventive measures involving reduced intake of high calorie diet and following an active lifestyl

Human Gait Recognition Subject to Different Covariate Factors in a Multi-View Environment

Human gait recognition system identifies individuals based on their biometric traits. A human’s biometric features can be grouped into physiologic or behavioral traits. Biometric traits, such as the face [1], ears [2], iris [3], finger prints, passwords, and tokens, require highly accurate recognition and a well-controlled human interaction to be effective. In contrast, behavioral traits such as voice, signature, and gait do not require any human interaction and can be collected in a hidden and non-invasive mode with a camera system at a low resolution. In comparison with other physiological traits, one of the main advantages of gait analysis is the collection of data from a certain distance. However, gait is less powerful than physiological traits, yet it still has widespread application in surveillance for unfavorable situations. From traditional algorithms to deep learning models, a gait survey provides a detailed history of gait recognition