Parameters Viz Research Articles

Influence of submerged impingement jet designs on solar air collector performance

The present study experimentally investigates the solar air heater performance employing submerged impinging jets (SAHSIJ). The submerged jets produce high flow velocities, leading to significant turbulence aided by shear forces at the heated surface, resulting in increased and evenly distributed heat removal rates. The study explores the impact of geometric parameters viz jet spacing ratio (Sj/Dh) from 0.108 to 0.433, jet angles (α) from 75° to 90° jet diameter ratio (d/Dh) from 0.043 to 0.076, span-wise pitch ratio (Y/Dh) from 0.43 to 1.08 and stream wise pitch (X/Dh) from 0.43 to 1.73 on the Nusselt number and friction performance to enhance the overall efficacy of the system. To evaluate the effectiveness of the new SAHSIJ design in terms of thermal and thermo-hydraulic performance, the results are compared with those from a smooth duct solar air heater. The results show that the novel solar air heater with submerged pipe jet significantly outperforms the smooth duct solar air heater in terms of heat removal from the absorber plate. SAHSIJ achieved a thermal efficiency (ηth) of 75.3 % and a thermo-hydraulic efficiency (ηeff) of 69.2 %, with a thermo-hydraulic performance parameter (η) of 3.19.

Exploring surface integrity: Experimental investigation into abrasive waterjet deep hole drilling on ss 316L for biomedical applications

Precision drilling of difficult-to-cut materials with exceptional surface integrity is a crucial factor in producing advanced manufactured components in industries like aviation, automotive, defense, electronic, and medical devices. More specifically, deep hole drilling enables precise customization of prostheses, improving patient comfort and functionality. Abrasive waterjet deep hole drilling has become a vital drilling technique in many industries due to its adaptability and effectiveness in drilling intricate shapes on hard-to-cut materials. The interplay between process parameters and surface finish underscores the need for systematic investigation to enhance drilling efficiency and quality. In this research, an attempt has been made to explore the influence of abrasive waterjet deep hole process parameters viz water pressure and standoff distance on the surface integrity of the drilled holes for biomedical applications. A surface roughness tester has been used to evaluate surface roughness at three distinctive places, namely the top, middle, and bottom of the drilled holes. The investigation showed that surface roughness at the top of the holes is less as compared to the middle and bottom of the holes. The average surface roughness along the depth of the drilled holes is greatly influenced by water pressure. Additionally, the morphology of the drilled holes has been studied using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). SEM images revealed that the top surface of the drilled holes is free from defects.

Correlation between anogenital distance and severity of hypospadias in male children

BackgroundPrevious studies have shown an association between anogenital distance (AGD) and types of hypospadias. This study aims to determine whether AGD can be used to predict the severity of hypospadias in male children.MethodsWe used a cross-sectional study design to evaluate (43) children with hypospadias. The severity of hypospadias based on the meatal position before surgery was classified using the meatal score of the glans-urethral meatal-shaft (GMS) classification into four groups of M1–M4. Three AGD parameters viz: ano-scrotal distance (ASD), the ano-penal distance 1 (APD1) and the ano-penal distance 2 (APD2) were measured using a digital calliper. The glanulomeatal distance 1 (GMD1) before and the glanulomeatal distance 2 (GMD2) after chordee correction were calculated for any change in the position of the meatus. Data were collected over 18 months and analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (IBM SPSS) version 25 software. A P-value of < 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant.ResultsThe mean ano-scrotal distance (ASD), ano-penile distance 1 (APD1) and ano-penile distance 2 (APD2) were 35.0 ± 7.11 mm, 66.0 ± 13.0 mm and 82.05 ± 14.0 mm, respectively. The parameters of AGD and AGD index progressively decreased with increasing meatal score but these decreases were not statistically significant across the four categories of meatal score. Statistically significant, moderately negative correlations were observed between GMD2 and mean ASD (R = − 0.394, P ≤ 0.009), APD1 (R = − 0.308, P ≤ 0.045) and APD2 (R = − 0.391, P ≤ 0.010). There were also statistically significant predictive relationships between GMD2 (intra-operative meatal position) with ASD (R2 = 0.155, P ≤ 0.009), APD1 (R2 = 0.095, P ≤ 0.045) and APD2 (R2 = 0.153, P ≤ 0.010).ConclusionThe study demonstrated a significant relationship between the AGD and meatal position. Therefore, AGD may be used to predict the intra-operative meatal position and hence, the severity of hypospadias before surgery.

Analysis of spatial variability of smog episodes over National Capital Delhi during (2013–2017)

Air pollution is a pressing issue in Delhi, with smog occurrences causing reduced visibility and various respiratory problems. A series of severe SMOG (smoke + fog) episodes between 2013 and 2017 with reduced visibility and exceptionally high PM2.5 concentrations have been reported in Delhi especially around Diwali festival (October–November). The Smog of 2016 is referred as Great Smog of Delhi. This study examined remote sensing data from 2013 to 2017 to investigate smog episodes in Delhi during pre-Diwali, post-Diwali, and Diwali. Satellite-derived parameters viz absorbing aerosol index (AAI), aerosol optical depth (AOD), and ozone monitoring instrument (OMI) along with air pollution data and climatic parameters were used to analyze smog episodes. The results showed that during smog episodes, AOD, AAI and PM2.5 concentrations exceeded permissible limits significantly at all stations across Delhi during the Diwali festival. The ground-based observations at different locations across Delhi and satellite data-derived datasets confirmed the severity of smog episodes. The findings indicate that burning of fire crackers coupled with agriculture stubble burning and subsequent transport of the smoke from North Western states through the Capital had a greater impact on deteriorating air quality in Delhi than local pollution, especially during unfavorable weather conditions associated with high humidity and weaker winds. The outcomes highlight the significance of remotely sensed information in identifying smog episodes and their severity in Delhi. It also underlines the necessity for efficient interventions to control air pollution, particularly amid festivals like Diwali.

Serum Total Bilirubin and Oxidative Stress Status in Diabetic Retinopathy – A Hospital-Based Observational Study

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is one of the common microvascular complications of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM). As an antioxidant, the serum total bilirubin is associated with vaso-occlusive disorders. Oxidative stress parameters such as Erythrocyte Glutathione (GSH) as an antioxidant and Malondialdehyde (MDA) as an oxidant are critical in the pathogenesis of diabetic complications. This study aimed to explore the possibilities of the endogenous protective role of serum total bilirubin on the retinal vasculature in DR patients by estimating and correlating the levels of serum total bilirubin, GSH, and MDA in DR cases. In this hospital-based case-control study, 288 participants were selected from R.L. Jalappa Hospital and Research Centre, Kolar, divided into three groups with 96 subjects per group. Group I: Controls, Group II: T2DM, and Group III: DR subjects. The fasting blood sugar, glycated hemoglobin, liver function test, and lipid profiles were estimated by standard methods. Oxidative stress parameters viz, GSH and MDA were assayed by chromogen 5,5'- di thiobis 2-nitrobenzoic acid (DTNB) and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) methods, respectively. The prevalence of DR was significantly lower among subjects with the highest bilirubin quartile than those with the lowest. There was a significant mean difference with p&lt;0.001 between the groups for total bilirubin, FBS, HbA1c, GGT, TC, TG, LDL, GSH, and MDA. A Negative correlation of serum total bilirubin with FBS (r = - 0.375), HbA1c (r = -0.351), and MDA(r=-0.323), and a positive correlation with GSH (r = 0.335) was observed in DR group with a significant p-value. T2DM subjects with higher levels of bilirubin within biological reference intervals were less likely to develop retinopathy. The severity of DR was inversely proportional to the total bilirubin levels. Therefore, serum total bilirubin levels could be a biomarker to predict the risk of developing retinopathy in people with T2DM.

Evaluation of Knowledge Level of Farmers on Package of Practices for Composite Fish Culture in Papum Pare District of Arunachal Pradesh, India

An investigation on impact of training and demonstration programme on composite fish culture (CFC), for farmers of Papum Pare district Arunachal Pradesh, were undertaken to ascertain technical knowhow on standard package of practices for successful CFC with six parameters viz, 1. Fish species selection, 2. Fish species ratio combination, 3. Fish seed stocking stages (fry and fingerling) 4. Fry/fingerling treatment (NaCl), 5. Fish stocking density, 6. Pre and post-stocking management. Six villages were selected namely: Mani, Midpu, Chiputa, Balapu, Emchi and Upper Jumi.; 30 fish farmers from each village comprising 180 farmers were part of investigation. As per the baseline survey in the beginning on average 80% of farmers had a low level of knowledge about fish species selection followed by 12% medium and 8 % high. 82% had a low level of knowledge about, fish species ratio combination, 10% medium and only 8% had high knowledge on CFC. 81% had a low level of knowledge on fish seed stocking stages (fry and fingerling) followed by 10% and 9% respectively for medium and high. 91% had a low level of knowledge on fry/fingerling treatment (NaCl), followed by 6% medium and 3% high. 78% had low knowledge on fish stocking density followed by 13% and 9% for medium and high. 86% had low knowledge on pre- and post stocking management followed by 8% and 6% for medium and high respectively. After imparting training and Front line demonstration (FLD) programme at farmers door step on successive year, knowledge on fish species selection for low medium and high was 9%, 11% and 80 % respectively. 20%, 41% and 39% for low, medium and high on fish species ratio combination, 9%, 13% and 78% on fish seed stocking stages. 16%, 36% and 48% for low, medium and high knowledge on fry/fingerling treatment (NaCl), 11%, 19% and 70 % for low, medium and high knowledge on fish stocking density and 15%, 21% and 64% for low, medium and high knowledge on Pre and post-stocking management. Average fish production increase from 0.78 tone/ha/yr to 1.54 tone/ha/yr (97.4% increase) after imparting training and demonstration, which implies training and demonstration on CFC has significant impact on increase fish production per hectare of pond, through the power of knowledge gained by farmers on technical knowhow on CFC.

Physiological Characterization of Cold Tolerant and Susceptible Pigeon Pea [Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.] Genotypes

Background: The cold stress adversely affects the growth, survival and reproductive capacity of plants if the minimum temperature falls below 5°C. Information’s regarding cold stress and its impact on morphological characters, physio-biochemical constituents and yield attributes in cold tolerant and susceptible pigeon pea genotypes are very limited. Keeping the above facts in to consideration, the experiments were conducted. Methods: Field experiments were conducted during 2018-19 and 2019-20 with 34 genotypes of pigeon pea including checks (NDA-1, Bahar, IPA203, NDA-2, MAL-13, ICP2275, IPACT-2, MA-6, IPACT-3, IPACT-24, Rajendra Arhar, IPA15F, Dholi-D, JBT46/27, IPACT-6, IPACT-14, IPAD1-17, IPAC 68, IPACT 22, ICPL 7035 IPA19-101, IPA19-102, IPA19-103, IPA19-104, IPA19-105, IPA19-106, IPA19-107, IPA19-108, IPA19-109, IPA19-110, IPA19-111, IPA19-112, IPA19-113, IPA19-114) in RBD at ICAR-IIPR, Kanpur. Morphological and yield Characters including plant height, scoring of cold injury in exposed plants and Number of flower drop and pod set during the cold period in tagged plants were recorded. In biochemical/ crop efficiency parameters viz: Nitrogen balance index, chlorophyll, flavonols, anthocyanin’s and NDVI were measured. The photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, and transpiration rate were measured at the pod formation stage. Anti-oxidant enzymes activity was assayed as per standard methods. Meteorological observations during Cold stress were recorded. Result: Based on flower/pod drop and retention the genotypes like IPA 15F, Dholi dwarf, JBT46/27, IPACT-6, IPACT-14, IPAC-1-17, IPACT-68, IPACT-22, IPA 19-101, IPA 19-102, IPA 19-103, IPA 19-104, IPA 19-105, IPA 19-107, IPA 19-108, IPA 19-109, IPA 19-110, IPA 19-111 and IPA 19-113 were found susceptible to cold stress and retaining an average 51.67 % flowers/pods. Genotypes like NDA-2, MAL-13, ICP2275, IPACT-2, MA-6, IPACT-3, IPACT-24, Rajendra arhar, IPA19-106, IPA19-112 and IPA19-114 have retained more than an average of 67.48% flowers/pods are considered tolerant to cold stress. Amongst the tolerant group NDA-2, MAL-13, ICP2275, IPACT-2, IPA19-106, IPA19-112 retained the flower/pod more than the average of check genotypes (67.57%). Biochemical/plant efficiency parameters were superior in tolerant group over susceptible group.

Effect of Different Levels of Foliar Spray of Water Soluble Fertilizer NPK on Growth, Yield and Quality of Prickly Lettuce

A trial was conducted to evaluate the foliar application of fertilizer on growth, yield &amp; quality of prickly lettuce at Vegetable Research farm, Department of Horticulture, SHUATS. The objectives of this study were to find out suitable combination of water- soluble fertilizer of nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus for growth, yield and quality of prickly lettuce and to estimate the economics of the various treatments. The experiment was laid out in randomized block design (R.B.D) with 3 replications and 8 treatments. Results revealed that treatment T4 performed best in terms of growth parameters viz; plant height, leaf area , number of leaves per plant, plant spread, leaf area , yield parameters viz; yield per plant, yield per hectare and quality parameters viz; TSS and ascorbic acid.

Effect of Fruit Bagging on the Yield and Quality of Rainy Season Guava (Psidium guajava) cv Allahabad Safeda

The present experiment was conducted at Department of Horticulture, Naini Agricultural Institute, Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology and Sciences, Prayagraj during the session 2022 - 2024. The experiment was laid out in randomized block design, and the study consists of eight treatments with three replications including control. From the present investigation, it was concluded that bagging had significant effect on fruit characters in guava. The best treatment was T3 (Yellow Polythene) which shows highest values in all the parameters viz fruit characters (fruit weight-192.09g, fruit girth- 6.39 cm, fruit diameter-6.53cm, pulp weight-74.91g, pulp percentage-89.06%, seed weight-6.22g, seed percentage-5.71% &amp; specific gravity-1.23), quality attributes (TSS -15.32 0Brix, acidity- 0.40%, vitamin C- 161.99 mg/100g, TSS/acid ratio-37.64). Increased fruit yield and quality might be due to the increased absorption of sunlight &amp; favorable microclimate created due to bagging.

Optimization of Sterilization Parameters for Isolation of Endophytes from Allium sativum and Exploring its Antibacterial Activity

Endophytic bacteria reside within the plant cell and are beneficial to it in a number of ways like growth, protection to environmental conditions and sustainability in favor of the hosts. Throughout the ages, Garlic (Allium sativum L.) has legendary therapeutic importance. The important step in endophyte isolation is the removal of plant tissue surface microflora, called as surface sterilization. Endophytes from medicinal plants may mimic the compound produced by the host plant and also plays an important role in production of bioactive compound, so it is necessary to isolate endophytes, not the epiphytic microbes. The present investigation was undertaken with an aim to optimize the sterilization parameters viz: time and concentration of ethanol and sodium hypochlorite for isolation of endophytic bacteria as well as exploring their antibacterial activity from Allium sativum. The results revealed that concentration and exposure time of sterilizing agent caused prominent surface sterilization but have negative effect on isolation of endophytes. Experimental results revealed that 70% ethanol (6 min), 2% sodium hypochlorite (1 min) followed by 70% ethanol (30 sec) is effective for surface sterilization of leaf and 70% ethanol (6 min), 3% sodium hypochlorite (1 min) followed by ethanol (30 sec) for bulb of Allium sativum. A total of 86 bacterial endophytes were recovered and screened for antibacterial activity against Enterococcus faecalis, Bacillus cereus ATCC 11778, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Enterobacter, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Salmonella typhi and Proteus. Out of 86 bacterial endophytes, only (9%) endophytes were found to be inhibiting one or all test human pathogen. The findings of the present study suggest that use of optimized sterilization conditions are effective for removing surface bacterial strains without affecting endophytes as well as the Allium sativum plant of the Jaunpur district represents an excellent reservoir of endophytic bacteria and novel source of bioactive compounds. On the other hand different concentration and time of their exposure to different parts of plant is required for proper surface sterilization of that part and isolation of endophytes.

Methanolic extract of Merremia emarginata (Burm. f.) Hallier f. attenuates renal damage in streptozotocin-induced diabetic nephropathy in rats

IntroductionMerremia emarginata (syn: Ipomoea reniformis) is used by the traditional healers of the Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu and Nelliampathy hills of Kerala for the treatment of diabetes. It contains important phytoconstituents like scopoletin, quercetin, and kaempferol and is reported to have pharmacological activities like antidiabetic antioxidant, antihyperlipidemic, ACE inhibitory, and hypotensive. Diabetic kidney disease is a common microvascular complication seen in patients with long-term diabetes. This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of Merremia emarginata in attenuating diabetic kidney disease. Materials and methodsDiabetes was induced by a single i.p. injection of 55 mg/kg streptozotocin (STZ). The animals were divided into seven groups with six rats in the control group and seven each in the STZ, STZ + Standard drug Ramipril (STD), STZ + Low dose (LD) methanolic extract of Merremia emarginata (MEME), STZ + High dose (HD) MEME, STZ + STD + LD, and STZ + STD + HD groups. The renal function was assessed by estimating various parameters viz, blood glucose, serum and urine creatinine, urine albumin, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c) levels, oxidative stress, and kidney hypertrophy. ResultsTreatment with Ramipril and HD MEME showed a decrease in blood glucose levels, urine albumin, a decrease in serum creatinine, an increase in urine creatinine, a decrease in BUN, HbA1c, kidney hypertrophy, and oxidative stress. The combination treatment of Ramipril and HD MEME showed a synergistic effect. ConclusionThe study revealed that MEME attenuates diabetic nephropathy and has the potential to be used in diabetic nephropathy either alone or as an adjuvant.

Investigation and structural of phosphate glasses at low photon energy through: optical and attenuation properties

This paper presents a novel low-cost phosphate glass preparation by using the melt quenching technique. It was investigated for use in diagnostic protective applications. The range of UV-VIS wavelength is used to estimate the optical energy gap. The MAC denotes the mass attenuation coefficients of the present glass were computed at low photon energies between 15 and 200 KeV using the MIKE program. The manufactured glasses parameters viz; the mean free path, half value layer, tenth value layer, effective atomic number, effective electron density, and linear attenuation coefficient denotes as follows; 𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀, 𝐻𝐻𝐻𝐻𝐻𝐻, 𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇, 𝑍𝑍𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒, 𝑁𝑁𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒, 𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎 𝐿𝐿𝐿𝐿𝐿𝐿 were determined. Furthermore, the molar volume, oxygen molar volume, and optical packing density of fabricated glass were assessed. The third-order susceptibility (χ(3) and non-linear refractive index of the present glass were determined. From previous results, it can be concluded that the glass has unique attenuation characteristics, therefore, can be used for radiation protection at low energy 15 to 200 KeV.

Preliminary study on cranial measurements and sexual dimorphism in skull bones of gaur (Bos gaurus gaurus, Smith 1827).

Cranial measurements have been widely used in various studies in wildlife sciences, ranging from understanding predator ecology to wildlife forensics. However, detailed description of morphometry and sexual dimorphism of the skull of gaur Bos gaurus gaurus is lacking. The present study was undertaken to determine the sexual dimorphism based on the cranial measurements of gaur. A total of 12 individual gaur skulls of male (n = 6) and female (n = 6) were studied in the field from the naturally deceased animals between January 2018 and December 2021 in different ranges of Bandhavgarh tiger reserve (BTR), Madhya Pradesh, India. The skull measurements were analysed using univariate and multivariate statistics to determine whether cranial dimensions could be used to differentiate male and female skulls reliably. A total of 43 morphometrical parameters grouped into nine indices were calculated. Select morphometrical parameters viz PL, GFL, AKI, LBB, LFB, GBEE, GBAN, BPOP and GTCH were significantly different (p < 0.05) between sexes, whereas GBAN were significantly higher in female skulls. The measurements demonstrated that the skull of the gaur was dolichocephalic as the profile length and the otion to otion breath in both male and female were <75% of the length. Overall, 28 linear measurements of both the sexes were statistically significant (p < 0.05; <0.01). The calculated indices revealed that the foramen magnum index in the female gaur were significantly higher. In calculated cranial indices the facial index (a) was higher in female and facial index (b) were higher in males. The two important parameters, facial breadth in facial index (a) and the greatest breadth in facial index (b) were positively correlated, though facial index (a) was statistically not significant between the sexes. The greater inner length of the foramen magnum in female skull resulted in foramen being oval whereas it was circular in males. These parameters were decisive for sexual dimorphism, skull comparison and craniological studies. This study ascertained that the frontal index and skull index had no significant influence and were not good indices for discriminating skulls between male and female. Based on the Principal Component Analysis, it was found that skull of male and female gaurs exhibits differences in cranial morphology viz. cranial profile length or total length (PL) and the least inner height of the temporal groove (LIHT). The findings of the present study provide baseline information on various craniometrical measurements of skull of gaur, indices and parameters for sex identification that can be effectively used in understanding sex biased predation ecology, provide base line information to describe variation across its geographic range, and in identifying skulls recovered in wildlife offence cases.

Therapeutic potential and chemo-morphological characterization of silver nanoparticles synthesized using aqueous extracts of Monarda citriodora Cerv. ex Lag.

In present study, bioreduction of silver nitrate to silver nanoparticles was carried out using leaf extracts of Monarda citriodora plant. Different reaction parameters viz: inorganic silver salt (AgNO3) concentration, monarda extract concentration, pH and reaction time were varied to optimize the conditions for maximum recovery of silver nanoparticles. Monarda citriodora plant could efficiently bio-reduce silver ions. The efficiency of process increased with increasing salt concentration. Maximum recovery of AgNO3 was attained at 5 mM concentration with 5% concentration of MC leaf extract. The mixture incubated for 24 h at pH 8 gave maximum recovery. The images from scanning electron microscope (SEM) confirmed the dispersed state of silver nanoparticles. The energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDX) graphs depicted that silver nanoparticles comprised 91.97% of silver mixed with some groups like N and Al acting as capping agents. Presence of organic groups like –OH was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) graphs. The x-ray diffractometer (XRD) peaks corroborated with presence of silver in mixture. Antimicrobial and anti-oxidant activities of nanoparticles were studied. From the results it was observed that silver nano-particles are potential agonistics to many microbial strains and also have efficient free radical scavenging properties when compared with ascorbic acid.

Evaluation of the toxicological effects of uranium on human health in Chandrapur, Maharashtra, with reference to the water quality index

Groundwater is an important resource and approximate 80% of the world’s population depends solely on it to satisfy their needs. In the present investigation groundwater quality was assessed using WQI. For the same parameters viz, temperature, pH, conductivity, DO, alkalinity, TDS, sulphate, fluoride, bicarbonate, chloride, uranium, total hardness, calcium and magnesium hardness were assessed during post monsoon period in November 2021 in the Chandrapur region. For conducting this research total 116 groundwater samples were collected from different hydrological stations for the assessment of WQI. WQI is an important tool to assess quality of water for drinking and is classified as excellent to unsafe, i.e., 0-100 score. In this investigation WQI was found to be in the range between 27.63-674.56 exceeding both minimum and maximum score. The results of the present investigation showed that only 5.17% of water is safe for drinking,18% of water indicated poor water quality, 15% of water has very poor water quality and 77% of water is unsuitable for drinking purpose and proper treatment is required before use. During this investigation uranium in groundwater was also assessed considering its chemotoxical and radiological effects on human health. The chemotoxical and radiological effects were analyzed adopting standard equations given by USEPA. The radiological risk of mortality and morbidity was found to be 1.37E-05-1.47E-05, respectively. Thus, presence of uranium was noted and radiological risk was found to be below the permissible limit of AERB standard. The chemical toxicity of average value of Lifetime Average Daily Dose (LADD) and Hazard Quotient (HQ) was observed 0.315 and 0.00571, respectively and chemical toxicity of LADD was found to be in 8.62% sample population and above the permissible limits which can affect human health and can have kidney toxicity, bone and lung toxicity.

Effect of foliar supplementation of water soluble fertilizer on growth, yield and economics of wheat crop (Triticum aestivum L.)

A field experiment was conducted during rabi season of 2015-16 at Agronomy Research Farm of Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, Haryana, to evaluate the effects of foliar application of water soluble fertilizers on growth, yield attributes and yield of wheat. The soil of the experimental plot was sandy loam in texture, low in available nitrogen (131.3 kg ha-1), medium in available phosphorus (17.2 kg ha-1), and high in available potassium (335.4 kg ha-1). The soil was alkaline in reaction (pH 7.8). The experiment was laid out in randomized block design with 17 treatments having three replications. The treatments comprising two fertilizers level i.e., Recommended dose of fertilizer (RDF) (150 kg N + 60 kg P2O5 + 60 kg K2O ha-1) and 75% of RDF and supplemented with foliar application of water soluble fertilizers viz. Urea phosphate (17:44) @ 1.5%, NPK (18:18:18) @ 1.5%, ZnSO4 @ 0.5% and Urea 2% at different stages. One treatment was control where no fertilizer applied. Growth parameters viz, plant height, dry matter accumulation, crop growth rate and leaf area index were increased with T9 i.e., RDF along with foliar application of water soluble fertilizers NPK (18:18:18) @ 1.5% at 40 DAS followed by Urea phosphate (17:44) @ 1.5% at 65 DAS. Among treatments, application of RDF along with foliar application of water soluble fertilizers NPK (18:18:18) @ 1.5% at 40 DAS followed by Urea phosphate (17:44) @ 1.5% at 65 DAS exhibited the highest values of yield attributes, viz. effective tillers/ meter row length (mrl), number of spikeletes/spike, number of grains/spike and 1000-grains weight which led to the highest grain yield (6220 kg ha-1) However, alternate application of NPK (18:18:18) @ 1.5% and Urea phosphate (17:44) @ 1.5% or vice versa produced statistically similar grain yield of wheat at the same level of fertilizer application. RDF or 75% RDF along with foliar application of NPK (18:18:18) @ 1.5% was slightly superior as compared to RDF or 75% RDF along with foliar application of Urea phosphate (17:44) @ 1.5% irrespective of time of application.

Exploring the efficacy of panchavalkal extract and Zinc-Copper Bhasma in promoting wound healing in incision and excision wound models in the rat

Ethnopharmacological relevanceModified Panchavalkal (MPVKL) and herbomineral Preparations as per the Ayurvedic texts possess various medicinal properties. Although some of its pharmacological benefits have been documented, scientific validation of combined wound-healing properties has not been done. AimTo investigate the effects of the herbomineral combinations of MPVKL extract on wound healing efficacy through the utilization of incision and excision rodent models. MethodsExcision and incision wound models in Albino Wistar rats were used to assess wound healing activity, with ten groups of six animals each. Along with normal control, diseased, vehicle control, and standard group, groups were treated with MPVKL extract (5% and 10%), MPVKL and Yashad bhasma (0.5%, 1%), and MPVKL and Tamra bhasma (0.1%, 0.075%) for 21 days and 14 days in excision and incision model respectively. The assessments were performed using the wound contraction, breaking and tensile strength, biochemical and antioxidant parameters, and histopathology of the granulation tissue. ResultsAll the test groups demonstrated significant wound contraction (p < 0.001). The highest decrease in epithelialization period (16.1 ± 0.98 days) was observed for the MPVKL (10%) and Yashad bhasma (0.5%) group. There was a significant improvement in the antioxidant activity of MPVKL (10%) and Yashad bhasma groups. The biochemical parameters viz hydroxyproline, collagen and hexosamine increased remarkably in MPVKL (5%) and Yashad bhasma (1%) as compared to disease control. Histopathological studies of test groups showed epithelialization, increased collagen deposition, and neovascularization in contrast to the control group. MPVKL and Yashad bhasma-containing groups increased the tensile and breaking strength of the wound in the incision model when compared to disease control. ConclusionIn both wound models, MPVKL extract and its herbomineral combination with Yashad Bhasma demonstrated significant wound healing activity when compared to the control group.

Effect of reverse voltage on alpha spectra of pre-conditioned Si PIN diodes deployed in vacuum/ambient environment

Semiconductor-based Si PIN diodes are employed for radiation detection owing to their many advantages. However, their performance and reliability heavily rely on their pre-conditioning and the environment in which they are deployed. In this article, the response of Si PIN diodes that are subjected to two different pre-conditions [heat-treated at 100 °C (HT) and exposed to 85% relative humidity (HUM)] and two deployment environments [vacuum and ambient] to alpha particles emanating from triple-alpha source (239Pu-5155 keV, 241Am-5486 keV, and 244Cm-5805 keV) are investigated. Prior to alpha spectroscopy measurements, a meticulous electrical characterization, in terms of reverse current-voltage (IR-VR) and reverse capacitance-voltage (CR-VR) measurements are carried out. The IR-VR characteristics revealed that the leakage current (IR) is higher for measurements performed in ambient as compared to vacuum, while CR-VR characteristics are utilized to set the minimum reverse voltage (VR) that resulted in depletion width commensurate with the range of alpha particles. In order to confirm the optimum VR for maximum charge collection, alpha spectra are obtained in vacuum conditions for different values of VR ranging from 0 to 48.6 V, which showed a left-exponential Gaussian convoluted lineshape. A systematic analysis of the lineshape in terms of the fitting parameters viz, peak position, FWHM, area under the peak, and tailing parameter, revealed that the most robust data is obtained at an optimum VR of 4.6 V, where saturation is observed in peak position, area under the peak and tailing parameter. It is to be added that in the present experiment, 4.6 V is the optimum VR for obtaining robust measurements even for pre-conditioned diodes in different deployment conditions and is thus suitable for field condition measurements.

Evaluation of Different Salinity Levels on Growth Performance and Proximate Composition of WALLAGO ATTU

The study was conducted to determine the optimum level of salinity tolerance on the growth performance and proximate composition of Wallago attu fed with tilapia meat. The experimental fish were collected from River Chenab district Muzaffargarh and acclimatized for 14 days in freshwater before the experiment began. The fish were divided into five treatments: T1, T2, and T3 with salinity levels 4, 8 and 12-ppt respectively with a control group (T0) in freshwater. Each treatment had one replicate and fish were stocked at a density of 5 fish’s/aquarium in the Laboratory. Fish were fed 5% of their body weight with tilapia meat and water was exchanged regularly after every alternate day. The present study indicates the highest survival rate at 12-ppt and mortality was observed beyond this point. Non-significant changes in growth parameters viz; Feed intake, Feed conversion ratio, and Weight gain, were found in treatments and the control group. Additionally, proximate composition (moisture, ash content, protein and fat) showed significant changes (P&lt;0.005) in groups. Water quality parameters were found within the acceptable range during the study period. The result suggests that W. attu is a suitable species for rearing in harsh water earthen lakes and emphasizes the importance of considering salinity levels and leads to innovation in sustainable aquaculture practices.

Yield and Seed Quality of Wheat as Affected by Seeding Dates and Boron Levels at Rampur, Chitwan

Yield and seed quality of wheat is affected by sowing dates through its impacts on growing environment, soil moisture content and terminal heat stress. Boron fertilization also impacts on number of seed per spike and quality of the seed. A field experiment was laid out in split-plot design with four sowing dates (15 November, 30 November, 15 December and 30 December) in main plot and four boron levels (0, 1, 2 and 3 kg ha-1) on sub-plot, replicated thrice to assess the effect of sowing dates and boron levels on yield and seed quality of wheat at Rampur, Chitwan during winter season of 2019. The results revealed that significantly highest grain yield was obtained on November sown wheat compared to December sowing. Highest grain yield was obtained with the application of boron at 3 kg ha-1, significantly higher than 0 and 1 kg ha-1 boron application. Significant interaction among sowing dates and boron levels was found on grain and seed yield. Seed quality parameters viz; seedling root and shoot length, vigour indices I and II were better in the earlier sown wheat and with 3 kg ha-1 boron application. The germination was also higher in earlier sown wheat but not affected by boron levels. Therefore, wheat with high seed quality can be sown from 15 to 30 November with 3 kg ha-1boron application in Chitwan and under similar environments.