Growth, yield and nitrogen uptake in rice crop grown under elevated carbon dioxide and different doses of nitrogen fertilizer

Climate change associated with rising atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration may have impact on crop production and soil health. Increase in atmospheric CO2 concentration may enhance crop growth with higher demand for nutrients by the crop. An experiment was conducted during July-October, 2013 using Free Air Carbon Dioxide Enrichment facility at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi to study the impact of elevated CO2 and nitrogen (N) dose on growth, yield and nitrogen uptake in rice crop. Four doses of N, i.e., control, 0.6 g N pot-1 (75% recommended dose of N), 0.8 g N pot-1 (100% recommended dose of N) and 1.0 g N pot-1 (125% recommended dose of N) were applied in both ambient (395 ppm) and elevated CO2 (550±20 ppm) conditions. Grain and biomass yield of rice was significantly higher under elevated CO2 condition. Plant growth and yield parameters also increased with increased N doses in both elevated and ambient CO2 conditions. Nitrogen concentration of grain and straw decreased under high CO2 level but N uptake increased under elevated CO2 condition. Agronomic efficiency of N was higher under elevated CO2 while recovery efficiency of N remained unaffected. The study showed that although yield of rice increases under elevated CO2 condition, to maintain plant nitrogen concentration, application of additional dose of N is required.

Heart failure and acquired immune deficiency syndrome: report of 2 cases.

Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients usually present with prolonged fever, chronic diarrhoea, weight loss and other opportunistic infections. Congestive heart failure is not a usual presentation of AIDS. Here two cases, one a female of 38 years and another a male of 22 years presented with fever and breathlessness. On examination they were found to have features of congestive heart failure. Echocardiography revealed dilated cardiomyopathy. Laboratory investigations suggested human immunodeficiency virus was reactive in both cases with immune deficiencies of different degrees. The first patient expired during hospital stay, but the second one is progressing well with antiretroviral therapy.

A study on dyslipidaemia in subclinical hypothyroidism.

Subclinical hypothyroidism is characterised by elevated serum thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) concentrations in association with normal free thyroid hormones. The aim of the study was to evaluate the prevalence and pattern of serum lipid alterations in patients with stable subclinical hypothyroidism in comparison to age- as well as sex-matched euthyroid group and also subgroup analysis between them in regard to age of presentation, sex, antithyroperoxidase (anti TPO) positivity, and TSH value. In this study, 100 patients of SCH were recruited, age ranged 17-68 years, majority (78%) being females, presenting mainly with non-specific symptoms and compared with 52 euthyroid control regarding lipid parameters. Of the subclinical hypothyroidism patients, only 10% had goitre and anti TPO was positive in 52% cases. Serum lipoprotein (a) above the age of 20 years, and total cholesterol, triglyceride and low density liporpotein cholesterol in the age group of 40-50 years were significantly elevated. In addition, total cholesterol, triglyceride and low density lipoprotein cholesterol levels in anti TPO positive cases and serum triglyceride and low density lipoprotein cholesterol in anti TPO negative patients showed statistically significant higher levels. In males only lipoprotein (a), but in females total cholesterol, triglyceride, low density lipoprotein cholesterol and liproprotein (a)--all were significantly elevated.

Toxic effects of embalming fluid on medical students and professionals.

Vapours of embalming fluid in the dissection room are a perennial cause of irritation to the mucous membranes of the pharynx, upper respiratory tract and eyes. We made an attempt to assess the discomfort level produced by formalin and that produced by the standardized embalming fluid used in our department. A list of twenty symptoms was made and circulated among students attending dissection and students were asked to grade the severity of each symptom experienced on a scale of 1 to 4. Individual scores of each symptom were statistically compared and summated, and the same reflected the general acceptability of the embalming fluid.

Cytohistomorphology of prostatic lesions--by FNAC & scrape methods.

A pilot study of transrectal fine needle aspiration biopsy was conducted in 44 patients, above the age of 50 years, who presented with features of obstructive uropathy during a one year period between August 1990 and April 1991. Histopathological study was carried out in 23 out of 44 patients, who underwent total prostatectomy or transurethral resection following the aspiration biopsy procedure. In 21 patients FNAB by the transrectal route could not be obtained because of technical difficulties; therefore intraoperative scrape cytology was studied prior to histopathology, of the fresh prostatic specimen. A good cytohistopathological correlation was obtained by both methods; an accuracy of 95.6% and 95.2% with FNAC and scrape respectively. A wide range of benign and malignant lesions were studied.

The effects of sodium orthovanadate, noradrenaline and angiotensin II on isolated perfused rat kidney glomerular-tuft diameter.

The effects of sodium orthovanadate, angiotensin II (A II) and noradrenaline (NA) were studied on the isolated perfused rat kidney (IPRK) and on the diameter of the glomerular capsule and tuft. Vanadate (4.5 microM), A II (20 nM) and NA (17.3 microM) increased the total resistance of the IPRK. There was a simultaneous increase in glomerular filtration rate with vanadate and A II, but a decrease with NA. The glomerular tuft/capsule diameter ratio decreased significantly from 0.85 (control) to 0.81, 0.81 and 0.78 for vanadate, A II, and NE treated kidneys, respectively. The decrease in ratio was associated with an increase in diameter of the glomerular capsule for A II and NE. This finding accompanied with simultaneous rise in TPR and GFR in the case of vanadate and A II, indicates that the post capillary efferent arteriolar vasoconstriction is a component in the mechanism of action with A II and vanadate. Evidence for such a component is less clear for NA because GFR decreases and TPR increases. Vanadate may affect both with a predominance on the efferent arteriole. The data indicate that histological measurements of glomerular size lead to a better understanding of the mechanisms of vasoactive drugs acting on the kidney.