Long-term conservation agriculture and best nutrient management improves productivity and profitability coupled with soil properties of a maize-chickpea rotation.

Conservation agriculture (CA)-based practices have been promoted and recouped, as they hold the potential to enhance farm profits besides a consistent improvement in soil properties. A 7 years' field experiment consisting of three crop establishment practices viz., zero-till flatbed (ZTFB), permanent beds (PNB), conventional system (CT) along with the three-nutrient management; nutrient expert-based application (NE), recommended fertilization (RDF), and farmers' fertilizer practice (FFP), was carried out from 2013 to 2020. The CA-based practices (ZTFB/PNB) produced 13.9-17.6% greater maize grain-equivalent yield (MGEY) compared to the CT, while NE and RDF had 10.7-20% greater MGEY than the FFP. PNB and ZTFB gave 28.8% and 24% additional net returns than CT, while NE and RDF had 22.8% and 17.4% greater returns, respectively over FFP. PNB and ZTFB had 2.3-4.1% (0.0-0.20 m soil layers) lower bulk density than the CT. Furthermore, microbial biomass carbon (MBC) increased by 8-19% (0.0-0.50 m soil layers) in ZTFB/PNB over the CT, and by 7.6-11.0% in NE/RDF over FFP. Hence, CA-based crop establishment coupled with the NE or RDF could enhance the yields, farm profits, soil properties of the maize-chickpea rotation, thereby, could sustain production in the long run.

Thermal transport across wrinkles in few-layer graphene stacks.

Wrinkles significantly influence the physical properties of layered 2D materials, including graphene. In this work, we examined thermal transport across wrinkles in vertical assemblies of few-layer graphene crystallites using the Raman optothermal technique supported by finite-element analysis simulations. A high density of randomly oriented uniaxial wrinkles were frequently observed in the few-layer graphene stacks which were grown by chemical vapor deposition and transferred on Si/SiO2 substrates. The thermal conductivity of unwrinkled regions was measured to be, κ ∼ 165 W m-1 K-1. Measurements at the wrinkle sites revealed local enhancement of thermal conductivity, with κ ∼ 225 W m-1 K-1. Furthermore, the total interface conductance of wrinkled regions decreased by more than an order of magnitude compared to that of the unwrinkled regions. The physical origin of these observations is discussed based on wrinkle mediated decoupling of the stacked crystallites and partial suspension of the film. Wrinkles are ubiquitous in layered 2D materials, and our work demonstrates their strong influence on thermal transport.

Cubitus Valgus with Tardy Ulnar Nerve Palsy - Functional Outcome of Milch Osteotomy without Anterior Transposition of Ulnar Nerve.

INTRODUCTION: To assess the results of Milch osteotomy in terms of deformity correction and functional outcome in the absence of ulnar nerve transposition. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Nine patients with cubitus valgus deformity greater than 20° with tardy ulnar nerve palsy (TUNP) operated between 2012 and 2017 were evaluated. Correction by Milch osteotomy and fixation was done in each case, without osteosynthesis of the non-union lateral condyle humerus or transposition of the ulnar nerve. At one year post-operatively, carrying angle, elbow function (Mayo Elbow Performance Score) and ulnar nerve symptoms were assessed. RESULTS: The mean carrying angle pre-operatively was 30.8° on the affected side which improved to a mean of 8.3° postoperatively with an average correction of 22.5°. The mean elbow flexion pre-operatively was 129.4° which improved to 133.3° post-operatively. The mean preoperative MEP score was 76.7 which improved to a mean of 92.2 post-operatively (p < 0.01). TUNP recovered completely in all the patients. CONCLUSION: Milch osteotomy is an effective procedure for cubitus valgus deformity correction and its associated tardy ulnar nerve palsy without a decrease in elbow ROM. Correction of even severe valgus deformities without concurrent anterior transposition of the ulnar nerve is likely to improve ulnar nerve symptoms.

Binding interaction of phosphorus heterocycles with bovine serum albumin: A biochemical study.

Interaction between bovine serum albumin (BSA) and phosphorus heterocycles (PHs) was studied using multi-spectroscopic techniques. The results indicated the high binding affinity of PHs to BSA as it quenches the intrinsic fluorescence of BSA. The experimental data suggested the fluorescence quenching mechanism between PHs and BSA as a dynamic quenching. From the UV-vis studies, the apparent association constant (Kapp) was found to be 9.25×102, 1.27×104 and 9.01×102 L/mol for the interaction of BSA with PH-1, PH-2 and PH-3 respectively. According to the Förster's non-radiation energy transfer (FRET) theory, the binding distances between BSA and PHs were calculated. The binding distances (r) of PH-1, PH-2 and PH-3 were found to be 2.86, 3.03, and 5.12 nm, respectively, indicating energy transfer occurs between BSA and PHs. The binding constants of the PHs obtained from the fluorescence quenching data were found to be decreased with increase of temperature. The negative values of the thermodynamic parameters ΔH, ΔS and ΔG at different temperatures revealed that the binding process is spontaneous; hydrogen bonds and van der Waals interaction were the main force to stabilize the complex. The microenvironment of the protein-binding site was studied by synchronous fluorescence and circular dichroism (CD) techniques and data indicated that the conformation of BSA changed in the presence of PHs. Finally, we studied the BSA-PHs docking using Autodock and results suggest that PHs is located in the cleft between the domains of BSA.

Tuberculosis in the pituitary fossa: a common pathology in an uncommon site.

UNLABELLED: Tuberculosis (TB) is an important cause of mortality and morbidity across the world. In 2-5% of all cases of systemic TB, the C is affected, with lesions reported in the meninges, cortex and ventricles. Intrasellar tuberculomas, however, are extremely rare. We report the interesting case of a young female patient who presented with secondary hypothyroidism and hyperprolactinaemia. She was treated successfully for pituitary TB. We also highlight and discuss some interesting (and hitherto unreported) endocrine issues. Radiological and histological features and treatment of pituitary TB are discussed using this case as an example. LEARNING POINTS: Intrasellar TB continues to be a rare presentation, but incidence and prevalence are expected to grow with increasing numbers of multidrug-resistant TB and shrinking geographical boundaries across the world.Pituitary TB can present with features of a typical adenoma, but has certain radiological and histological features that help to differentiate from an adenoma.Patients can present with a variety of endocrine abnormalities at different times.The presence of an intrasellar mass in individuals at a high risk of developing TB, or with a previous history of systemic TB, should prompt the diagnosis of pituitary TB. In such individuals, it may be worth considering a trial of anti-tuberculous therapy, before considering surgery.

Analysis of petroleum contaminated soils by spectral modeling and pure response profile recovery of n-hexane.

This pilot study compared penalized spline regression (PSR) and random forest (RF) regression using visible and near-infrared diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (VisNIR DRS) derived spectra of 164 petroleum contaminated soils after two different spectral pretreatments [first derivative (FD) and standard normal variate (SNV) followed by detrending] for rapid quantification of soil petroleum contamination. Additionally, a new analytical approach was proposed for the recovery of the pure spectral and concentration profiles of n-hexane present in the unresolved mixture of petroleum contaminated soils using multivariate curve resolution alternating least squares (MCR-ALS). The PSR model using FD spectra (r(2) = 0.87, RMSE = 0.580 log10 mg kg(-1), and residual prediction deviation = 2.78) outperformed all other models tested. Quantitative results obtained by MCR-ALS for n-hexane in presence of interferences (r(2) = 0.65 and RMSE 0.261 log10 mg kg(-1)) were comparable to those obtained using FD (PSR) model. Furthermore, MCR ALS was able to recover pure spectra of n-hexane.

Rapid estimation of compost enzymatic activity by spectral analysis method combined with machine learning.

The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility of using visible near-infrared (VisNIR) diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) as an easy, inexpensive, and rapid method to predict compost enzymatic activity, which traditionally measured by fluorescein diacetate hydrolysis (FDA-HR) assay. Compost samples representative of five different compost facilities were scanned by DRS, and the raw reflectance spectra were preprocessed using seven spectral transformations for predicting compost FDA-HR with six multivariate algorithms. Although principal component analysis for all spectral pretreatments satisfactorily identified the clusters by compost types, it could not separate different FDA contents. Furthermore, the artificial neural network multilayer perceptron (residual prediction deviation=3.2, validation r(2)=0.91 and RMSE=13.38 µg g(-1) h(-1)) outperformed other multivariate models to capture the highly non-linear relationships between compost enzymatic activity and VisNIR reflectance spectra after Savitzky-Golay first derivative pretreatment. This work demonstrates the efficiency of VisNIR DRS for predicting compost enzymatic as well as microbial activity.

Synthesis of novel pyrano[3,2-f]quinoline, phenanthroline derivatives and studies of their interactions with proteins: an application in mammalian cell imaging.

A series of tri-cyclic pyrano[3,2-f]quinoline and phenanthroline derivatives have been synthesized by a HCl-mediated 6-'endo-trig' Michael type ring closure reaction of 6-amino-5-(3-hydroxy-3-methylbut-1-ynyl)-2H-chromen-2-one in excellent yields. The process is very simple, facile and inexpensive and can provide a diverse range of substituted quinoline derivatives from simple and easily available starting materials. Moreover, the synthesized derivatives exhibit staining property to the cultured HeLa cells after fixing and can be used as fluorophores which can bind with protein molecule.

Retrieval of kidney tissue for light microscopy from frozen tissue processed for immunofluorescence: A simple procedure to avoid repeat kidney biopsies.

We highlight a method that is helpful in situations where the tissue sent for LM is inadequate whereas the tissue sent for IF showed glomeruli useful for interpretation. We utilized the leftover frozen tissue after the sections for IF were taken. This tissue was post-fixed in formalin for the purpose of light microscopic diagnosis. The glomerular pathology could be commented upon with a fair degree of accuracy and a repeat biopsy was avoided in 74.7% of the cases. However, the tubules showed marked fixation artefact and tubular pathology was distorted. This procedure can help to reach a correct diagnosis in large percentage of cases otherwise labeled as inadequate biopsy and hence, save the patient from the trauma of a repeat biopsy.

Cytodiagnosis of alveolar soft part sarcoma: Report of two cases with special emphasis on the first orbital lesion diagnosed by aspiration cytology.

Alveolar soft part sarcoma (ASPS) is a rare neoplasm of uncertain cell of origin. Known to occur in adolescents and young adults, this tumor usually involves the muscles and deep soft tissues of the extremities and trunk. Orbital localization is rare and not yet subjected to cytological assessment, as per our literature search. We present here two cases of ASPS diagnosed by aspiration cytology, one in the orbit and the other in the lower extremity. The cells displayed abundant clear to finely vacuolated cytoplasm, often with disrupted margins and flowing of the cytoplasmic material; prominent nucleoli and scattered bare nuclei were also seen in the background. Two close cytological differential diagnoses include metastatic renal cell carcinoma and paraganglioma. Intracytoplasmic periodic acid schiff (PAS) positive, diastase-resistant, needle-shaped crystals and corresponding rhomboid crystals with regular lattice pattern on ultrastructure are the hallmarks of this neoplasm. Due to its slowly progressive clinical course and poor outcome, preoperative diagnosis of ASPS through fine-needle aspiration cytology may be essential for deciding therapy, especially in rare and difficult locations like orbit, where adjuvant radiation may not be possible.

Dimorphic expression of various transcription factor and steroidogenic enzyme genes during gonadal ontogeny in the air-breathing catfish, Clarias gariepinus.

In the present study the expression of 13 genes known to be involved in sex differentiation and steroidogenesis in catfish was analyzed during gonadal ontogeny by quantitative real-time RT-PCR. Dmrt1 and sox9a showed exclusive expression in male gonads while ovarian aromatase (cyp19a1) and foxl2 were abundant in differentiating female gonads. Most of the genes related to steroidogenesis were expressed only after gonadal differentiation. However, genes coding for 3ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3ß-hsd), 17α-hydroxylase/C17-20 lyase type 1 (cyp17) and steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (star) were barely detectable during gonadal differentiation. Ovarian aromatase, cyp19a1, which is responsible for estradiol-17ß biosynthesis in females, was expressed very early in the undifferentiated gonads of catfish, around 30-40 days post hatch (dph). The steroidogenic enzyme, 11ß-hydroxylase (cyp11b1) required for the production of 11-ketotestosterone (11-KT) was expressed only after differentiation of testis. These results suggest that estradiol-17ß has a critical role in ovarian differentiation, while the role of 11-KT in testicular differentiation is doubtful. In conclusion, dimorphic expression of dmrt1 and sox9a in gonads during early development is required for testicular differentiation, and sex-specific expression of cyp19a1 and foxl2 in females plays a critical role in ovarian development. Our study reveals that the critical period of gonadal differentiation in catfish starts around 30-40 dph when sex-specific genes showed differential expression.

Systemic manifestations in chronic arsenic toxicity in absence of skin lesions in West Bengal.

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE: Pigmentation and keratosis are the prerequisites to diagnose arsenicosis. However, many systemic manifestations occur in association with pigmentation and keratosis in people exposed to chronic drinking of arsenic contaminated water. The present study aim to find out whether systemic manifestations occur in significant number of cases in arsenic exposed people in the absence of skin lesions in an affected district in West Bengal, India. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out in South 24 Parganas, an arsenic affected district of West Bengal, India. Both dermatological and systemic manifestations were recorded and water samples collected for arsenic analysis from 7683 participants. A correlation of systemic manifestations in relation to arsenic exposure was carried out in subjects having no arsenical skin lesion. Prevalence odds ratio (POR) was calculated for each outcome comparing those with high arsenic exposure with those with lowest exposure. RESULTS: The frequency of occurrence of various clinical manifestations like weakness, anaemia, diarrhoea, hepatomegaly and lung disease was found to be significantly higher among participants drinking water having arsenic concentration > or = 50 microg/l in comparison to those taking water with arsenic content below this level. Further, there was increased occurrence of these manifestations with increasing concentration of arsenic level in drinking water, and this followed a dose-response relationship. INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSION: It appears that it is worthwhile to include people with systemic manifestations in absence of skin lesions with evidence of arsenic exposure as suspected cases of arsenicosis for case detection and in surveillance programme.