Agricultural field experiments are costly and time-consuming, and often struggling to capture spatial and temporal variability. Mechanistic crop growth models offer a solution to understand intricate ...crop-soil-weather system, aiding farm-level management decisions throughout the growing season. The objective of this study was to calibrate and the Crop Environment Resource Synthesis CERES-Maize (DSSAT v 4.8) model to simulate crop growth, yield, and nitrogen dynamics in a long-term conservation agriculture (CA) based maize system. The model was also used to investigate the relationship between, temperature, nitrate and ammoniacal concentration in soil, and nitrogen uptake by the crop. Additionally, the study explored the impact of contrasting tillage practices and fertilizer nitrogen management options on maize yields. Using field data from 2019 and 2020, the DSSAT-CERES-Maize model was calibrated for plant growth stages, leaf area index-LAI, biomass, and yield. Data from 2021 were used to evaluate the model's performance. The treatments consisted of four nitrogen management options, viz., N0 (without nitrogen), N150 (150 kg N/ha through urea), GS (Green seeker-based urea application) and USG (urea super granules @150kg N/ha) in two contrasting tillage systems, i.e., CA-based zero tillage-ZT and conventional tillage-CT. The model accurately simulated maize cultivar's anthesis and physiological maturity, with observed value falling within 5% of the model's predictions range. LAI predictions by the model aligned well with measured values (RMSE 0.57 and nRMSE 10.33%), with a 14.6% prediction error at 60 days. The simulated grain yields generally matched with measured values (with prediction error ranging from 0 to 3%), except for plots without nitrogen application, where the model overestimated yields by 9-16%. The study also demonstrated the model's ability to accurately capture soil nitrate-N levels (RMSE 12.63 kg/ha and nRMSE 12.84%). The study concludes that the DSSAT-CERES-Maize model accurately assessed the impacts of tillage and nitrogen management practices on maize crop's growth, yield, and soil nitrogen dynamics. By providing reliable simulations during the growing season, this modelling approach can facilitate better planning and more efficient resource management. Future research should focus on expanding the model's capabilities and improving its predictions further.
The present study assessed sperm functional characteristics in the frozen-thawed semen of buffalo bulls and estimated their relationship with field fertility. Frozen semen samples from three ...different freezing operations each from nine Murrah buffalo bulls were used for the assessment of different sperm functions related to fertilizing potential. Bulls were classified into high (n = 2), medium (n = 5), and low (n = 2) fertile based on adjusted field fertility. The sperm functions estimated included membrane integrity using carboxyfluorescein diacetate-propidium iodide, acrosome reaction status using fluorescein isothiocyanate peanut agglutinine, status of apoptosis using Annexin-V, protamine deficiency using Chromomycin A3, membrane stability using Merocyanine 540 and lipid peroxidation status using 4, 4-difluoro-4-bora-3a, 4a-diaza-s-indacene. The relationship between the proportion of live acrosome-intact spermatozoa and fertility was positive and significant (r = 0.59; P = 0.001). The proportion of moribund spermatozoa showed a significantly negative correlation with fertility (r = −0.50; P = 0.008). Similarly, the relationship of spermatozoa with unstable membrane (r = −0.51; P = 0.007), necrotic (r = − 0.42; P = 0.028), early necrotic (r = −0.42; P = 0.031), and apoptotic spermatozoa (r = −0.39; P = 0.046) with bull fertility was negative and significant. The correlation between the protamine-deficient spermatozoa and fertility was negative, but not significant. Among different combinations of tests, live acrosome-intact spermatozoa and lipid peroxidation status of spermatozoa revealed high positive correlation with buffalo bull fertility (adjusted R2 = 0.73, Cp = 0.80). These preliminary findings may help in developing tools for assessing fertility of buffalo bulls, once validated in more animals.
We present a measurement of R_{K^{*}}, the branching fraction ratio B(B→K^{*}μ^{+}μ^{-})/B(B→K^{*}e^{+}e^{-}), for both charged and neutral B mesons. The ratio for the charged case R_{K^{*+}} is the ...first measurement ever performed. In addition, we report absolute branching fractions for the individual modes in bins of the squared dilepton invariant mass q^{2}. The analysis is based on a data sample of 711 fb^{-1}, containing 772×10^{6} BBover ¯ events, recorded at the ϒ(4S) resonance with the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric-energy e^{+}e^{-} collider. The obtained results are consistent with standard model expectations.
Cardiac fibroblasts, when coupled functionally with myocytes, can modulate the electrophysiological properties of cardiac tissue. We present systematic numerical studies of such modulation of ...electrophysiological properties in mathematical models for (a) single myocyte-fibroblast (MF) units and (b) two-dimensional (2D) arrays of such units; our models build on earlier ones and allow for zero-, one-, and two-sided MF couplings. Our studies of MF units elucidate the dependence of the action-potential (AP) morphology on parameters such as Formula: see text, the fibroblast resting-membrane potential, the fibroblast conductance Formula: see text, and the MF gap-junctional coupling Formula: see text. Furthermore, we find that our MF composite can show autorhythmic and oscillatory behaviors in addition to an excitable response. Our 2D studies use (a) both homogeneous and inhomogeneous distributions of fibroblasts, (b) various ranges for parameters such as Formula: see text, and Formula: see text, and (c) intercellular couplings that can be zero-sided, one-sided, and two-sided connections of fibroblasts with myocytes. We show, in particular, that the plane-wave conduction velocity Formula: see text decreases as a function of Formula: see text, for zero-sided and one-sided couplings; however, for two-sided coupling, Formula: see text decreases initially and then increases as a function of Formula: see text, and, eventually, we observe that conduction failure occurs for low values of Formula: see text. In our homogeneous studies, we find that the rotation speed and stability of a spiral wave can be controlled either by controlling Formula: see text or Formula: see text. Our studies with fibroblast inhomogeneities show that a spiral wave can get anchored to a local fibroblast inhomogeneity. We also study the efficacy of a low-amplitude control scheme, which has been suggested for the control of spiral-wave turbulence in mathematical models for cardiac tissue, in our MF model both with and without heterogeneities.
Regular electrical activation waves in cardiac tissue lead to the rhythmic contraction and expansion of the heart that ensures blood supply to the whole body. Irregularities in the propagation of ...these activation waves can result in cardiac arrhythmias, like ventricular tachycardia (VT) and ventricular fibrillation (VF), which are major causes of death in the industrialised world. Indeed there is growing consensus that spiral or scroll waves of electrical activation in cardiac tissue are associated with VT, whereas, when these waves break to yield spiral- or scroll-wave turbulence, VT develops into life-threatening VF: in the absence of medical intervention, this makes the heart incapable of pumping blood and a patient dies in roughly two-and-a-half minutes after the initiation of VF. Thus studies of spiral- and scroll-wave dynamics in cardiac tissue pose important challenges for in vivo and in vitro experimental studies and for in silico numerical studies of mathematical models for cardiac tissue. A major goal here is to develop low-amplitude defibrillation schemes for the elimination of VT and VF, especially in the presence of inhomogeneities that occur commonly in cardiac tissue. We present a detailed and systematic study of spiral- and scroll-wave turbulence and spatiotemporal chaos in four mathematical models for cardiac tissue, namely, the Panfilov, Luo-Rudy phase 1 (LRI), reduced Priebe-Beuckelmann (RPB) models, and the model of ten Tusscher, Noble, Noble, and Panfilov (TNNP). In particular, we use extensive numerical simulations to elucidate the interaction of spiral and scroll waves in these models with conduction and ionic inhomogeneities; we also examine the suppression of spiral- and scroll-wave turbulence by low-amplitude control pulses. Our central qualitative result is that, in all these models, the dynamics of such spiral waves depends very sensitively on such inhomogeneities. We also study two types of control schemes that have been suggested for the control of spiral turbulence, via low amplitude current pulses, in such mathematical models for cardiac tissue; our investigations here are designed to examine the efficacy of such control schemes in the presence of inhomogeneities. We find that a local pulsing scheme does not suppress spiral turbulence in the presence of inhomogeneities; but a scheme that uses control pulses on a spatially extended mesh is more successful in the elimination of spiral turbulence. We discuss the theoretical and experimental implications of our study that have a direct bearing on defibrillation, the control of life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias such as ventricular fibrillation.
There is an unmet need for topical treatments with good tolerability in management of acne vulgaris. The present study aimed to evaluate efficacy and safety of a novel tretinoin (microsphere, 0.04%) ...formulation in combination with clindamycin (1%) gel for treatment of acne vulgaris.
This phase 3 randomized, double-blind study included patients with moderate-to-severe acne. Patients were treated with tretinoin (microsphere, 0.04%) + clindamycin (1%) or one of the monotherapies (tretinoin, 0.025%; clindamycin, 1%). Key endpoints included percent change in lesion counts, and improvement in Investigator's Static Global Assessment (ISGA) score.
750 patients were randomized (combination, n = 300; tretinoin and clindamycin, each n = 150). At week 12, reductions in inflammatory (77%), non-inflammatory (71%) and total lesions (73%) were significantly greater with combination treatment versus either monotherapy (p < .03). Proportion of patients rated 'clear' or 'almost clear' with ≥2-grade ISGA improvement was higher with combination (46%) versus monotherapies (p < .02). Adverse events occurred in 20 patients, most were mild-moderate; no deaths or serious adverse events were reported. The discontinuation rates due to adverse events with combination therapy were low (≤1%).
The once-daily, microsphere-based formulation was generally tolerable with a positive impact on therapeutic outcomes and patients' compliance.
CTRI/2014/08/004830
In a field study, long-term application of compost to a tropical Aeric Endoaquept under continuous rice growing in a rice–rice–fallow sequence resulted in the stimulation of microbial biomass and ...select soil enzyme activities. Mean seasonal soil microbial biomass-C (C
mic) increased by 42%, 39% and 89% in inorganic fertilizer, compost and compost+inorganic fertilizer treatments, respectively, over the unamended control. C
mic content was also influenced by the rice crop growth stage and was highest at maximum tillering stage irrespective of treatments and declined thereafter. Soil organic C (C
org) content showed highly significant positive correlation with dehydrogenase, urease, cellulase,
β-glucosidase and fluorescein di-acetate (FDA) hydrolysis activity, and a positive but not significant correlation with invertase and amidase activity. C/N ratio which was lowest in unamended control plots showed a significant positive relationship with only the enzymes involved in C cycle. Stepwise regression analysis revealed that for prediction of both total organic C and total N, FDA hydrolysis activity contributed significantly for the variance and explained up to 85–96% variability. Results demonstrated that microbial biomass and soil enzyme activity is sensitive in discriminating between long-term organic residue amendment practices.
Using the entire Belle data sample of 980 fb−1 of e+e− collisions, we present the results of a study of excited Ωc charmed baryons in the decay mode Ξc+K−. We show confirmation of four of the five ...narrow states reported by the LHCb Collaboration: the Ωc(3000), Ωc(3050), Ωc(3066), and Ωc(3090).
The K500 superconducting cyclotron, developed at the Variable Energy Cyclotron Centre (VECC), is now delivering heavy ion beams for the experiments. This article provides a comprehensive description ...of the first beam characterization. Key parameters for precision measurements with this machine include beam energy and its resolution, which have been determined in this work using two different techniques. The measured beam energy was compared with the estimation (based on the cyclotron’s RF) and was found to be consistent within the experimental uncertainty. Energy of the first beam (14N) delivered was found to be 252.0 ± 1.0 MeV with a resolution of 580 ± 5 keV. The techniques described in this article were used to verify the beam energy of 20Ne at several energies. Finally, the measured beam energies were studied as a function of RF of the cyclotron to determine the calibration constant. This was found to be 1.852 ± 0.032 and is consistent with the estimated value using the machine parameters.
Double differential neutron fluence distributions were measured in the 7Li(p,n)7Be reaction for proton beam energies 7, 9 and 12 MeV. Seven liquid scintillator based detectors were employed to ...measure neutron fluence distributions using the Time of Flight technique. Neutron ambient dose equivalents were determined from the measured fluence distribution using ICRP (International Commission on Radiological Protection) recommended fluence to dose equivalent conversion coefficients. Neutron dose equivalents were also measured using a conventional BF3 detector based REM counter. Ambient dose equivalent measured by the REM counter is found to be in agreement with that determined from the neutron fluence spectra within their uncertainties. Angular distributions of the ambient dose equivalents were also determined from the measured fluence distributions at different angles.
PDF
