We evaluated the thin-layer agar (TLA) method for the recovery of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex and compared the results with the BACTEC Mycobacteria Growth Indicator Tube (MGIT) 960 system. A ...total of 53 mycobacterial isolates were isolated on both media. The recovery rates of mycobacteria on TLA and BACTEC MGIT 960 system were respectively 90.6% and 96.2%. Mean time to detection of mycobacteria on TLA was 12.5 compared to 11.2 days on BACTEC MGIT 960. TLA is a simple technique and can be used as an alternative to the Löwenstein-Jensen medium and BACTEC MGIT 960 for the isolation of mycobacteria in resource-poor settings.
The glaciogenic Al Khlata Formation (Late Carboniferous – Early Permian) contains important reservoir and seal intervals in oil fields in southern Oman. Here we describe a 3D regional geological ...model of the Al Khlata Formation and the underlying Misfar Group in a 1750 km2 area in the Eastern Flank of the South Oman Salt Basin. The Misfar Group (Devonian‐Carboniferous?) was included in the model because it also contains glaciogenic facies in the study area. The 3D model is based on wireline logs from 42 wells, palynological zonation in 31 wells, cores from three wells, and a 2011 3D seismic dataset from which three horizons (top‐Huqf, top‐Rahab Shale and top‐Gharif) were interpreted throughout the study area.
The combined Al Khlata and Misfar interval varies in thickness in the area from 20 to 730 m over relatively short distances. These large variations in thickness were due to the creation of accommodation in mini‐basins resulting from the removal of underlying Infracambrian salt at the basin margin. In places, some of the available accommodation was occupied by Cambrian sandstones of the Nimr Group and Haima Supergroup, influencing the location and thickness of the Al Khlata mini‐basins. These local depocentres vary in scale, shape and orientation relative to the present‐day salt edge: some are ovoid in plan‐view, others more linear and parallel to the salt edge, and one takes the form of a narrow graben almost perpendicular to the salt edge. By the Early Permian, towards the end of Al Khlata time, deposits become more blanket‐like and uniform, indicating an external or more regional control on base level.
Four key lithofacies have been distinguished from wireline logs and were populated zone‐by‐zone through the geological model: sandstone (reservoir), shale (seal), and sandy and silty diamictite. Sandstones are most common towards the base of the Misfar – Al Khlata interval and shales towards the top. The Rahab Shale (Early Permian) at the top of the Al Khlata Formation forms an important seal for oil fields in South Oman, often in combination with seals in overlying intervals. The Rahab Shale was the first widespread seal to be deposited which may have trapped oil migrating from the South Oman Salt Basin during the Palaeozoic.
The most common lithofacies in the Misfar – Al Khlata interval in the modelled area is diamictite (60%), which is normally considered to be a waste‐rock lithology. However thick silty diamictites of sufficient extent can seal hydrocarbon accumulations, and some sandy diamictites have the potential to be unconventional reservoir rocks.
Even after 50 years of exploration and production of oil from the Al Khlata Formation, there remains potential for further discoveries and overlooked pay zones due to its heterogeneous character and the occurrence of intra‐formational seals.
The efficacy of foliar sprays with compost water extracts (compost extracts) in reducing the severity of bacterial spot of tomato caused by Xanthomonas vesicatoria was investigated. Extracts prepared ...from composted cow manure, composted pine bark, an organic farm compost, or composted yard waste, applied as foliar sprays on tomato transplants, resulted in a moderate but statistically significant reduction in the severity of bacterial spot. The population of X. vesicatoria in infected leaves was reduced significantly by extracts prepared from composted cow manure. Efficacy of the water extracts was not affected by oxygen concentrations in the suspension during extraction, compost maturity, or sterilization by filtration or autoclaving. The degree of control provided by foliar sprays with the most effective compost extracts did not differ from that obtained with the plant activator acibenzolar-S-methyl. In the field in two growing seasons, foliar sprays with compost water extracts did not reduce the severity of foliar diseases, including bacterial spot. During the 1997 season, when the severity of bacterial spot in the field was high, foliar sprays with compost water extracts significantly reduced the incidence of bacterial spot on tomato fruit. Amending plot soil with several rates of composted yard waste did not lead to additional control of fruit disease over those only sprayed with extracts. Foliar sprays with a mixture of chlorothalonil and copper hydroxide or with acibenzolar-S-methyl reduced the severity of bacterial spot as well as incidence of spot on fruit.
Fruit of loquat (Eriobotrya japonica Lindl.) becomes available during the months of March/April in Pakistan. There is no identified cultivar of loquat available on a large scale and the majority of ...the orchards are seed propagated and not uniform. Recently, research work has been initiated for identification, collection and multiplication of loquat genotypes. Cultural practices adopted in most of our loquat orchards are primitive and with few exceptions are not up to world standards. Production and quality of loquat fruit can be increased by the identification and further multiplication of high quality genotypes, by adopting recommended cultural practices such as pruning, thinning, irrigation and plant protection, and postharvest efforts to increase shelf life.
In vitro derived shoots of olive cv. Moraiolo were employed in synthetic seeds preparation by alginate encapsulation, and then stored in artificial endosperm solution at cold (4 degree C) and room ...storage (21 plus or minus 2 degree C) conditions in interaction with different storage intervals of 0, 15, 30, 45 and 60 days to evaluate the comparative regrowth and conversion capacity of synthetic seeds. Cold stored synthetic seeds were superior in terms of their regrowth capacity than that of room stored ones for all the growth parameters studied. A promising degree of interaction was observed between 4 degree C and 45 days of storage interval for regrowth percentage as well as for shoot and root development. Moreover, an ascending trend was recorded in conversion potential with an increase in storage intervals up to 45 days (S sub(3)) whereas there was a declining trend after that up to 60 days (S sub(4)). Moreover plantlets regenerated from synthetic seeds, with 4 - 6 fully expanded leaves and well developed root system were successfully acclimatized under ex vitro conditions. The protocol can be used for germplasm exchange of woody trees and preparation of synthetic seed.
We present in this paper, the preparation and pre-clinical study of 177Lu-labelled hydroxyapatite for the application in radiation synovectomy of small sized joints.
177Lu is an adequate radionuclide ...for therapy, having ability of simultaneously showing therapeutic effects and depicting images. Both hydroxyapatite particulates and 177Lu were prepared indigenously.
Analysis of the gamma ray spectrum showed the radionuclide purity of 177Lu more than 99%. HA particles were synthesized and characterized by FTIR-ATR and X-ray diffractometry. XRD-Pattern generated by the product indicated that the chief inorganic phase of the sample is hydroxyapatite crystal. FTIR spectrum of HA powder calcined at 800°C for 1h showed all the bands that can be assigned to phosphate and hydroxyl groups in an apatite environment. Ca/P ratio was determined by ICP-OES. The Ca/P ratio of 1.68 determined for HA was about 0.6% above the stoichiometric ratio of 1.67. Particle size distribution pattern was obtained with the help of laser particle size analyzer and results showed that more than 80% of the particles bear the size in the range ideal for radiosynovectomy. 177Lu-labelled hydroxyapatite particulates were prepared with high radiochemical purity and yield. >95% labeling yield was achieved at pH 7. Labeled specie remained stable up to 18 days. In vitro stability >99% remained up to >one half life of 177Lu. Bio-evaluation of the 177Lu-HA particles was carried out by injecting approximate activities of 10 and 5 MBq (in 0.1 mL suspension) as intra-articular injection in the right knee joints of rabbit 1 and 2 respectively. Retention of activity was studied using images of the injected joints with the help of a gamma camera at various intervals. In all images no activity was visible in any organ other than knee joints. The retention of the 177Lu activity was followed for 772 hours (30.01 days). Leakage of activity was also assessed indirectly by estimating the residing time of radiopharmaceutical in the synovium. Half life of 177Lu-HA residing time in the knees was estimated to be 154 hours and 158 hours for rabbit-1 and rabbit-2 respectively. No significant extra articular leakage of the injected activity was observed over a period of one month post injection. Pre-clinical study of 177Lu-labelled hydroxyapatite indicated its potential for application in radiation synovectomy of small joints.
Most of the past risk assessment studies deal with accidents in a single industry, more so in one of the units of an industry. However, it is always possible that an accident in one unit can cause a ...secondary accident in a nearby unit which in turn may trigger a tertiary accident, and so on. The probability of occurrence and adverse impacts of such domino or cascading effects are increasing due to increasing congestion in industrial complexes and increasing density of human population around such complexes. This is particularly so in developing countries. The recent disaster at a refinery in Vishakhapatnam, India, which claimed over 60 lives and damaged property worth Rs 600 million, has brought the damage potential of domino effect into sharp focus. This paper presents a new computer automated tool DOMIFFECT (DOMIno eFFECT) which is the first ever such tool reported for studying domino effects. The package is capable of a) estimating the hazards of fire, explosion, toxic release, or combination of these present in a chemical process industry; b) the damage potential of likely accidents, assessed on the basis of credible scenarios the tool develops; c) the likelihood of a second accident being triggered by the first, d) the scenarios of the second accident, their damage potential, and the probability of their causing a third accident (steps similar to a–c above), and so on. The software has been coded in C++ and has the attributes i) wide applicability, ii) sophistication, iii) user friendliness, and iv) flexibility for improvement.
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