Field studies were conducted for 2 years in alluvial soils of north India to determine water use, water use efficiency and yield of sugarcane on a sandy loam and a silty clay loam soil under various ...moisture regimes. Irrigation scheduling was based on the ratio between irrigation water and cumulative pan evaporation (IW/CPE). Deep irrigations at 80
mm were applied at IW/CPE ratios of 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, 1.00 and 1.25. Total water use was higher in the plant crop than the ratoon crop under all IW/CPE ratios. Mean water use efficiency (WUE) of plant cane (71
kg/ha/mm) was also higher compared to ratoon cane (63
kg/ha/mm). On the heavier silty clay loam soil, losses through deep percolation ranged from 25 to 30% in the first crop and 7–13% in the second crop season. Maximum effective rainfall was recorded in the driest soil moisture regime. Mean cane yield on the sandy loam soil increased significantly up to 1.0
IW/CPE ratio. We conclude that in subtropical India, irrigation of sugarcane during the tillering period should be applied at 0.75 and 1.00
IW/CPE ratios in silty clay loam and sandy loam soils, respectively.
We have measured the cross-section for the
K
S
0
production from beryllium target using 120
GeV
/
c
protons beam interactions at the main injector particle production (MIPP) experiment at Fermilab. ...The data were collected with target having a thickness of 0.94% of the nuclear interaction length. The
K
S
0
inclusive differential cross-section in bins of momenta is presented covering momentum range from
0.4
GeV
/
c
to
30
GeV
/
c
. The measured inclusive
K
S
0
production cross-section amounts to
39.54
±
1.46
δ
stat
±
6.97
δ
syst
mb and the value is compared with the prediction of FLUKA hadron production model.
► A GC–MS/MS method was developed for quantification of 11 pesticides in sugar samples. ► This method was accurate (⩾99%) as it possesses LOD in the 0.1μgkg−1 range. ► The recovery was achieved at ...the lowest levels of detection ranges from 82% to 104%. ► Out of 27 samples, one sample showed chlorpyrifos concentration of 0.22μgkg−1. ► This study showed that Indian sugar is free from the commonly-used pesticides.
A sensitive method for the quantification of 11 pesticides in sugar samples to the μgkg−1 level has been developed. These pesticides are often used in an agricultural context. A simple solvent extraction followed by selective analysis using a gas chromatography–mass spectrometric method was used. This method was accurate (⩾99%) as it possesses limits of detection in the 0.1-μgkg−1 range, and the coefficients of variations are less than 15% at the low μgkg−1 end of the method’s linear range. The percent recovery of all the pesticides at the lowest levels of detection ranges from 82% to 104%. This method was used for the quantification of pesticides in sugar samples collected from different factory outlets from different parts of India. In this study, 27 refined sugar samples were analysed in which one sample showed a detectable level of the chlorpyrifos pesticide. This study showed that Indian sugar is free from the commonly-used pesticides at the low μgkg−1 levels.
... there have been numerous case reports on rare varieties of bladder exstrophy and exstrophy variants and the innovative methods of treatment of such condition (these are all available on the ...internet-based literature searches). ... pediatric surgeons in India have demonstrated exceptional skills in the surgical repair of the exstrophy-epispadias complex.
The objective of this study is to determine the concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in different fish species collected from fish outlets in the south Indian city of Hyderabad. The ...samples of fish extracted by using Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged, and Safe (QuEChERS) and concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs, 45 congeners) were determined by gas chromatography–microelectron capture detection (GC-μECD) method. The intake of individual PCB congeners through fish, toxicity equivalence factors (TEFs), hazardous quotient, quantitative assessment, and risk evaluations was estimated in the Indian population. Daily dietary intakes of PCBs at the 95th-percentile-measured concentrations were twice the values of the 50th-percentile-measured concentrations in all socio-economic groups. The dietary intakes of PCBs through fish consumption in middle-income group, low-income group, and industrial laborers (0.023 μg kg⁻¹ day⁻¹), the high-income group (0.031 μg kg⁻¹ day⁻¹), and slum dwellers (0.039 μg kg⁻¹ day⁻¹) exceeded the reference dose. The observed estimated daily intakes (EDIs) of our study for all socio-economic sections (0.0087 μg/kg/day) crossed the cancer benchmark concentration of 0.0003 μg/kg/day. In slum dwellers, the ingestion of fish from freshwater and marine water results in the highest lifetime cancer risks of 4.7 in 100,000 and 7.8 in 100,000, respectively. Ultimately, the concentrations of PCBs were determined high in all of the fish species collected. Risk assessment showed that the fish were highly contaminated with PCBs and may pose health threats to consumers in the city of Hyderabad as well as a lifetime cancer risk.
Background
Histological changes in the liver in cases of choledochal cyst are seldom reported. The severity of liver pathology has an impact on the presentation, course and prognosis of hepatobiliary ...lesions. This study aims to record the histological changes in the liver and response to surgery in patients with choledochal cyst and to correlate these with the clinical symptoms and recovery.
Materials and methods
All children <12 years diagnosed with choledochal cyst were evaluated clinically, radiologically and biochemically at presentation. Excision of the cyst with intra-operative liver biopsy was done. Liver biopsy was repeated after 6 months of surgery. Both the liver biopsies were compared objectively in terms of hepatocellular damage, cholestasis, parenchymal inflammation, bile duct inflammation, bile duct proliferation, portal fibrosis and central venous distension with appropriate statistical tests. Clinical presentation and recovery were correlated with grades of liver pathology.
Results
Forty-six patients were included. Pathological damage was observed in all the livers preoperatively. Post-operatively, significant resolution of histological changes was seen in hepatocellular damage (
p
< 0.0001), parenchymal inflammation (
p
= 0.0001), cholestasis (
p
= 0.0003) and bile duct proliferation (
p
= 0.0001). Portal fibrosis did not resolve. Central venous distension worsened. Severity of damage correlated significantly with younger age, symptom severity, anomalous pancreatico-biliary junction (APBJ) and obstructive biliary clearance on Tc-99 HIDA scan. Post-operative bile duct proliferation, bile duct inflammation and portal fibrosis were associated with cholangitis, re-do surgery and obstructive Tc-99 HIDA scan clearance in the post-operative period.
Conclusions
All patients with choledochal cyst show pathological changes in liver of varying severity. More severe symptoms, younger age and APBJ are associated with higher degree of liver damage. Except portal fibrosis and central venous distension, all other pathological changes regress after surgery. Regression can be hindered by post-op cholangitis, obstructive biliary clearance and post-op IHBR dilatation.
There is recent evidence to suggest that domestic livestock deplete the density and diversity of wild herbivores in the cold deserts of the Trans-Himalaya by imposing resource limitations. To ...ascertain the degree and nature of threats faced by Himalayan ibex (Capra sibirica) from seven livestock species, we studied their resource use patterns over space, habitat and food dimensions in the pastures of Pin Valley National Park in the Spiti region of the Indian Himalaya. Species diet profiles were obtained by direct observations. We assessed the similarity in habitat use and diets of ibex and livestock using Non-Metric Multidimensional Scaling. We estimated the influence of the spatial distribution of livestock on habitat and diet choice of ibex by examining their co-occurrence patterns in cells overlaid on the pastures. The observed co-occurrence of ibex and livestock in cells was compared with null-models generated through Monte Carlo simulations. The results suggest that goats and sheep impose resource limitations on ibex and exclude them from certain pastures. In the remaining suitable habitat, ibex share forage with horses. Ibex remained relatively unaffected by other livestock such as yaks, donkeys and cattle. However, most livestock removed large amounts of forage from the pastures (nearly 250 kg of dry matter/day by certain species), thereby reducing forage availability for ibex. Pertinent conservation issues are discussed in the light of multiple-use of parks and current socio-economic transitions in the region, which call for integrating social and ecological feedback into management planning.
Human–wildlife conflict arising from livestock-losses to large carnivores is an important challenge faced by conservation. Theory of prey–predator interactions suggests that revival of wild prey ...populations can reduce predator's dependence on livestock in multiple-use landscapes. We explore whether 10-years of conservation efforts to revive wild prey could reduce snow leopard's Panthera uncia consumption of livestock in the coupled human-and-natural Trans-Himalayan ecosystem of northern India. Starting in 2001, concerted conservation efforts at one site (intervention) attempted recovery of wild-prey populations by creating livestock-free reserves, accompanied with other incentives (e.g. insurance, vigilant herding). Another site, 50km away, was monitored as status quo without any interventions. Prey remains in snow leopard scats were examined periodically at five-year intervals between 2002 and 2012 to determine any temporal shift in diet at both sites to evaluate the effectiveness of conservation interventions. Consumption of livestock increased at the status quo site, while it decreased at the intervention-site. At the intervention-site, livestock-consumption reduced during 2002–2007 (by 17%, p=0.06); this effect was sustained during the next five-year interval, and it was accompanied by a persistent increase in wild prey populations. Here we also noted increased predator populations, likely due to immigration into the study area. Despite the increase in the predator population, there was no increase in livestock-consumption. In contrast, under status quo, dependence on livestock increased during both five-year intervals (by 7%, p=0.08, and by 16%, p=0.01, respectively). These contrasts between the trajectories of the two sites suggest that livestock-loss can potentially be reduced through the revival of wild prey. Further, accommodating counter-factual scenarios may be an important step to infer whether conservation efforts achieve their targets, or not.
The paper describes an experimental study to evaluate the need of nickel electroplating on stainless steel part in vacuum brazed oxygen-free electronic (OFE) copper-type 316L stainless steel ...transition joints with silver copper eutectic braze filler metal (BVAg-8 of AWS A5.8). The results of the study demonstrated that nickel electroplating is not required to obtain hermetically sealed sound and strong OFE copper-316L stainless steel transition vacuum brazed joints. The only pre-treatment requirement for stainless steel part is simple ultrasonic cleaning, although pickling treatment has been found to have a favorable effect in improving its wettability for the braze filler metal. Brazed joints made with unplated stainless steel (SS) not only displayed (i) required level of hermeticity (helium leak rate ≤2 × 10
−10
mbar·l/s) and bakeablility at 523 K for ultra-high vacuum application and (ii) reasonably good tensile strength comparable to those made with Ni-plated SS, but also exhibited significantly suppressed extent of intergranular penetration of braze filler metal into copper. Important factors responsible for the development of sound OFE copper-316L stainless steel brazed joints with ultrasonically cleaned stainless steel part are excellent wettability of OFE copper which compensated for poor wettability of stainless steel surface and presence of hydrocarbon-free high vacuum environment during brazing.
There is a vast range of gases which get ionized, produce electron-ion pairs, on the passage of high energy charged particles. Such gases are extensively used in experiments such as LHC, Belle-II, ...RHIC, DAFNE, etc which produce high energy particles. Panjab University established a detector assembly and characterization laboratory dedicated to gaseous detectors such as Resistive Plate Chamber (RPC) and Gas Electron Multiplier (GEM) for the LHC experiment. Here, we present the recent work on the fabrication and characterizations of the GEM detector at Panjab University.
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