Assessment of Growth, Flowering, Yield and Quality Parameters of Different Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L.) Genotypes

The present investigation was carried out at New Orchard, Main Agricultural Research Station, UAS, Raichur, during late Kharif 2021-22 using thirty-one genotypes and laid out in Randomized Block Design (RBD) with three replications. The result of the study revealed that, there was significant differences (p < 0.05) among the genotypes for all the traits studied. Genotype OPL-2127 recorded the highest plant height (130.69 cm), stem girth (20.45 mm), number of leaves per plant (27.29), leaf area index (3.62), number of nodes per plant (16.04), chlorophyll content (64.26 SPAD readings), fruit length (18.69 cm), number of fruits per plant (16.10), harvesting period (63.50 days), fruit yield per plant (293.53 g), fruit yield per hectare (16.4 t) and it is found to be superior over the other okra genotypes under the study. The highest fruit girth (41.36 mm) and ten fruits weight (230.10 g) was noted in the genotypes OPL-2108 and OPL-2125, respectively. The genotypes OPL-2102 and OPL-2119 recorded the minimum number of days for first flower appearance (34.50) and days to 50 per cent flowering (38.00), respectively which indicates the earliness of the genotypes. OPL-2023 recorded the highest shelf-life (5.50 days) and fibre content (16.09%).

Physiological taste threshold in type 1 diabetes mellitus.

The sense of taste is one of the important oral chemical senses that play a critical role in human life. The taste threshold increases by number of factors such as age, local and systemic disease like diabetes, consumption of alcohol, smoking. The aim of the present study was to assess the relationship between taste threshold in type 1 diabetics and non diabetics for four basic taste modalities (i.e. sweet, salt, sour and bitter). We studied 70 cases of type 1 diabetic and 70 non diabetics. The taste threshold was evaluated using 7 different serially half diluted concentrations of glucose (2.00 M–0.031 M), Nacl (1.00 M– 0.0156 M), citric acid (0.05 M– 0.0007 M) and quinine sulphate (0.001 M–0.000015 M). A significant increase in taste threshold for sweet (P<0.0001), salt, sour and bitter (P<0.001) in type 1 diabetic was observed. We concluded that taste sensation was reduced in type 1 diabetics.

Secondaries at deltopectoral flap donor site.

Deltopectoral flap and pectoralis major flaps form the basis of most reconstructions following ablative surgeries of head and neck region for cancers. There are many papers reporting acute complications but the literature on one late complication i.e. secondaries at flap donor site is rare. This is one such report and review of literature.

Surgical speech restoration by tracheo-oesophageal puncture--Kidwai experience.

This paper addresses our experience with primary (15 patients) and secondary (8 patients) tracheo-oesophageal puncture (TEP) in the laryngectomee. Despite a success rate of 93.3 percent in the primary TEP and 62.5 percent in secondary TEP, in a follow-up period of one month to eight years, prosthesis related problems like maintenance and recurring expenses emerged as significant deterrent factors in adopting prosthetic speech rehabilitation. Successful oesophageal speech training, increased practice of Pearson's near total laryngectomy, prior tracheostomy and advanced disease mandating post-operative radiotherapy in majority of patients are some of the factors in addition to prosthesis after-care maintenance that makes TEP a less practiced option at our center.