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The emission of α particles has been analyzed using a 14N projectile beam on 59Co, 93Nb, and 197Au targets at an incident energy of 250 MeV, in the angular range from 8° to 40°. The estimated α particles from the break-up channel and the pre-equilibrium mode were compared with the experimentally measured inclusive double differential cross sections at various angles at 250 MeV beam energy. The present results indicate that at such a high incident energy, a significant contribution to the α-particle emission comes from direct reactions, which are dominant at forward angles. At larger emission angles, non-equilibrium and evaporation processes increase and compete with direct reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article describes the photocatalytic degradation of Evan's blue in aqueous solution using graphitic carbon nitride. The experiment records the absorbance of Evan's blue and its rate of constant reaction and it observed the effect of pH on photocatalytic degradation, effect of dye concentration on the rate of reaction, effect of amount of photocatalyst on the rate of photocatalytic degradation, and effect of light intensity on the rate of Evan's blue.

Background: Clusterbean [Cyamopsis tetragonoloba (L.) Taub.] (2n=2x=14) is an under exploited legume belonging to family fabaceae. Clusterbean is a versatile legume crop cultivated mostly as animal feed, green manure green leaves as fodder, vegetable and cover crop. Clusterbean is a drought resistant, hardy, deep rooted annual legume crop. D2 statistics provides a measure of magnitude for divergence between two genotypes under comparison. For broadening the genetic base of cultivars, the genetic diversity present in cultivated and wild relatives must be explored. Generally, diverse germplasms are expected to give high hybrid vigor and hence, it necessitates studying genetic divergence among the existing varieties and genotypes for the identification of parents for hybridization programme. Methods: The present investigation was undertaken to study genetic variability in clusterbean [Cymopsis tetragonaloba (L.) Taub] with using a set of 40 genotypes at Agronomy Instructional Farm, Department of Agronomy, Sardarkrushinagar Dantiwada Agricultural University, Sardarkrushinagar during Kharif 2019 in randomized block design with four replications. Mahalanobis (1928) D2 statistic was used for assessing the genetic divergence between different populations. Grouping of the genotypes in different clusters was done by using Tocher's method. The inter-cluster distance was calculated by measuring the distance between clusters I and cluster II, between clusters I and cluster III, between clusters II and cluster III and so on. Likewise, one by one cluster was taken and their distances from other clusters were calculated. Result: The genetic diversity analysis revealed the formation of nine clusters suggested the presence of considerable genetic diversity among the 40 genotypes. The clustering pattern indicated that geographic diversity was not associated with genetic diversity. The analysis of per cent contribution of various characters towards the expression of total genetic divergence indicated that, the number of branches per plant followed by gum content, days to maturity, days to flowering contributed maximum towards total genetic divergence. On the basis of inter cluster distances, cluster IX was found to be more divergent. Therefore, it was concluded that the genotypes belonging to these cluster should be inter crossed in order to generate more variability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An investigation was carried out at Horticultural Instructional Farm, C.P. College of Agriculture, Sardarkrushinagar during 2019-20. The results showed that the peak population of thrips during the 5th week of November i.e., 48th SMW, whereas, peak activity of aphid was found during the 4th week of November i.e., 47th SMW. The population of mealybug was noticed during the 24th to 26th SMW of June. The highest number of coccinellids were recorded during the 4th week of November i.e., 47th SMW, whereas, the activity of chrysopids was remained maximum during the 3rd week of November i.e., 46th SMW. The correlation co-efficient of pomegranate thrips and aphid with maximum and minimum temperature, morning relative humidity and wind velocity were found negative, highly significant. The results of mealybug revealed that maximum and minimum temperature, morning and evening relative humidity, sunshine hours and rainfall distribution were found positive non-significant. While, coccinellids showed negative highly significant correlation with maximum temperature, morning relative humidity and wind velocity. Whereas, chrysopids showed that the minimum temperature and wind velocity were negative but highly significant and morning relative humidity showed a negative significant relationship. The population of coccinellids and chrysopids showed a highly significant and positive correlation with thrips and aphid population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present investigation was carried out at Regional Research Station, Anand Agricultural University, Anand during the years 2019-20 to 2020-21 to study the phenotypic stability for grain yield in pearl millet genotypes. The experimental materials consisted of 91 genotypes; comprising 70 hybrids developed using line × tester design, five CMS lines and 14 testers, and two standard check hybrids GHB 538 and GHB 732. The mean square due to genotypes × environment interactions were significant for grain yield per plant, which revealed that genotypes interacted considerably with environment. Higher magnitude of G × E (linear) variance compared to G × E (non-linear) variance for grain yield per plant indicated that major portion of interaction was predictable in nature. The hybrids ICMA1-04999 × J-2587, ICMA1-98222 × J-2604, ICMA1-98222 × 110-SB-15, ICMA1-98222 × 69-SB-18, ICMA1-98444 × J-2290, JMSA1-20158 × J-2479, JMSA1-20158 × J-2539, JMSA1-20158 × ICMR-15758, JMSA1-20159 × J-2479, JMSA1-20159 × J-2590 and JMSA1-20159 × 69-SB-18 were identified as stable and widely adapted for grain yield per plant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An efficient green method is developed as a one-pot synthesis of pyrrolo[1,2-c]imidazole-1-one derivatives under microwave conditions via two components in a substoichiometric quantity of water. The conformational and structural studies are conducted through DFT optimization and single crystal X-ray diffraction. The molecular packing is mediated through hydrogen bonding and C–H⋯π interactions. The Hirshfeld surface analysis highlights significant H–H interactions in all compounds, with compound 2a exhibiting the highest percentage. HOMO and LUMO studies reveal compound 2a as more stable and less reactive. The molecular electrostatic potential provides the charged proportionality along with the molecular surface. The drug-likeness properties suggest that compounds 2b, 2c, 2d, 2e, 2f, 2g, and 2i possess favorable properties for potential pharmaceutical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Construction sites are well known for the inherent risks that negatively impact the safety and well-being of workers. Identifying and minimising these hazards is critical for preventing accidents and creating a safe working environment. Traditional techniques of hazards identification in construction rely on visual assessments and professional expertise, which can be time-consuming and subjective. The goal of this research is to identify traits that indicate potential dangers in the construction industry by extracting meaningful information from accident narratives. This will be achieved through the application of a rule-based iteration approach, using the Natural Language Toolkit (NLTK) for keyword extraction and text tokenization. It is a branch of artificial intelligence and computational linguistics concerned with the interaction of computers and human language. The research methodology involves the utilization of NLTK and the application of a rule-based iteration approach to extract hazards from construction-related accident narratives. The proposed approach includes gathering accident narratives, pre-processing data, and textual analysis with NLP tool for information extraction and training the algorithm with identified attributes. The textual analysis eventually leads to the extraction of significant sources of dangers that cause accidents. The study contributes to the developing subject of construction safety management by utilizing the capabilities of NLP to enhance hazard detection, resulting in safer construction practices and lower occupational hazards. The findings emphasise the accuracy with which NLP approaches detect dangers, allowing construction professionals to proactively decrease risks and enhance overall safety on construction sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Clusterbean [Cyamopsis tetragonoloba (L.) Taub.] (2n=2x=14) is an under exploited legume belonging to the family Fabaceae. Clusterbean is a versatile legume crop cultivated mostly as vegetable, for the extraction of guar gum, animal feed cover crop. Clusterbean is a drought tolerant, hardy, deep rooted annual legume. To assess the nature and magnitude for genetic variability, heritability and genetic advance for seed yield and component characters that are useful for an effective selection programme, the present study was under taken. Methods: A set of 40 clusterbean genotypes were evaluated during Kharif 2019 in in randomized complete block design with four replications at Agronomy Instructional Farm, Sardarkrushinagar Dantiwada Agricultural University, Sardarkrushinagar, Gujarat, India. Result: The highest estimates of genotypic coefficient of variation was observed for the number of branches per plant followed by seed yield per plant, days to flowering and number of clusters per plant indicating the presence of wide genetic variability for these characters. High estimates of heritability coupled with high genetic advance were observed for number of branches per plant, seed yield per plant and days to flowering indicating the presence of additive genes and less environmental influence on the characters and existence of sufficient heritable variation and wider scope for effective selection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Castor is an important non-edible oil seeds crop of Gujarat state. Yield potentiality of this crop has been considerably improved through several breeding techniques. Now days, a wilt (Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. ricini) of castor has become a serious problem. The present study therefore, was under taken to use populations of P1, P2, F1, F2, BC1 and BC2 generations in each of six crosses of castor. The six crosses were selected in such a way that two crosses in each group of resistance X resistance, resistance X susceptible and susceptible X susceptible made available for detail study of gene effects for wilt resistance. Methods: The experiment was laid out in a compact family block design with three replications during kharif, 2017. The experimental materials consisted of four pistillate lines viz., VP-1, Geeta, SKP-84 and SKP-106 and six inbred lines viz., VI-9, JI-35, 48-1, SH-72, SKI-215 and PCS-124 selected from the germplasm maintained at the Castor and Mustard Research Station, S.D. Agricultural University, Sardarkrushinagar. Each entry was planted in a single row of 10 dibbles maintaining 120 cm row to row and 60 cm plant to plant distances. Result: The analysis of variance revealed significant difference among different generations for wilt incidence and seed yield indicating considerable variability in the material tested. The estimation of the gene effects revealed that additive as well as non-additive gene effects were observed for wilt incidence and seed yield in all the six cross. In the cross, VP - 1 X JI-35 the wilt incidence estimation of scaling test and gene effect was observed non-significant indicating non-allelic interaction was absent for this character, while for seed yield, all the crosses have significant scaling test indicating the presence of non-allelic interactions for this trait. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Statistical process control (SPC) procedures are proposed to improve the production efficiency of precast concrete tunnel segments. Quality control test results of more than 1000 ASTM C1609/C1609M beam specimens were analyzed. These specimens were collected over 18 months from the fiber-reinforced concrete (FRC) used for the production of precast tunnel segments of a major wastewater tunnel project in the Northeast United States. The Anderson-Darling (AD) test for the overall distribution indicated that the data are best described by a normal distribution. The initial residual strength parameter for the FRC mixture, f D 600, is the most representative parameter of the post-crack region. The lower 95% confidence interval (CI) values for 28-day flexural strength parameters of f1, f D 600, and f D 300 exceeded the design strengths and hence validated the strength acceptability criteria set at 3.7 MPa (540 psi). A combination of run chart, exponentially weighted moving average (EWMA), and cumulative sum (CUSUM) control charts successfully identified the out-of-control mean values of flexural strengths. These methods identify the periods corresponding to incapable manufacturing processes that should be investigated to move the processes back into control. This approach successfully identified the capable or incapable processes. The study also included the Bootstrap Method to analyze standard error in the test data and its reliability to determine the sample size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study was conducted during the late kharif season (July to November, 2023) at the Genetics and Plant Breeding Research Farm, School of Agriculture, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, Punjab India. This study assessed heterosis in okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L.) for 12 traits, including earliness and fruit yield using Randomized Block Design. Thirty-five F1s were obtained from crossing 7 lines with 5 testers in line×tester method and compared with one commercial check (Punjab-8) to estimate standard heterosis and heterobeltiosis among better parents. Significance of mean square due to genotypes revealed the presence of considerable genetic variability among the material studies for almost all the traits. The best positive heterotic cross over better parent (Heterobeltiosis) and standard check (Punjab 8) for fruit yield plant-1 was Go-6×Arka Abhay (72.32%) and Phule Prajatiti×Arka Abhay (41.63%) respectively. While Punjab Suhanani×GAO-5 (-12.05%) was found as negatively heterotic cross for days to 50% flowering over better parent and GAO-8×Arka Abhay (-13.26%) over standard check respectively. For days to first picking Pusa Savani×VRO-106 (-14.44%) exhibited negatively significant heterosis over better parent and Phule Prajatiti×Arka Abhay (-14.49%) over standard check respectively, that are important to exploit the earliness traits in okra. The hybrid Phule Prajatiti×Arka Abhay, which has a high potential for yield and fruits can be picked earlier which may evaluated further for early kharif season in Punjab. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An investigation was carried out at Horticultural Instructional Farm, Chimanbhai Patel College of Agriculture, Sardarkrushinagar during 2019-20. The result of the field study revealed that, among the different bio-rationals treatments evaluated against sucking pests of pomegranate, Azadirachtin 10000 ppm (30 ml/10 lit.) was found to be the most superior bio-rational against thrips of pomegranate, followed by Lecanicillium lecanii (1 x 109 efu/g) (40 g/10 lit.) and B. bassiana (1 x 109 efu/g) (40 g/10 lit.), whereas, L. lecanii (1 x 109 efu/g) (40g/10 lit.) had registered the most effective treatment against pomegranate aphid followed by B. bassiana (1 x 109 efu/g) (40 g/10 lit.) and Azadirachtin 10000 ppm (30 ml/10 lit.). Karanj oil (20 ml/10 lit.) + 0.1% soap solution was found to be least effective against thrips and aphid on pomegranate. All the bio-rationals were non-toxic to coccinellids and chrysopids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among the various insecticides evaluated for their field efficacy against pod borers of Indian bean, the treatment of emamectin benzoate 5SG at 0.002%, indoxacarb 14.5SC at 0.007% and lambdacyhalothrin 5SC at 0.005% were found to be most effective against Helicoverpa armigera (Hubner) and Maruca vitrata Geyer. While, thiacloprid 21.7SC at 0.012% and novaluron 10EC at 0.01% were moderately effective. The least pod damage was observed with emamectin benzoate 5SG at 0.002% (13.16%) which was at par with indoxacarb 14.5SC at 0.007% (14.16%) and lambdacyhalothrin 5SC at 0.005% (16.33%). Maximum pod yield (21.75 q/ha), increase in yield over control (95.76%) and % of avoidable loss (48.91%) was observed with emamectin benzoate 5SG at 0.002%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biofortification is a global-scale agricultural approach that can improve human nutrition. Agronomic biofortification is viewed as a quick-fix and supplemental approach. Agronomic biofortification, especially foliar application, is highly effective for zinc and iron. A field experiment on agronomic biofortification of zinc and iron micronutrients in mango cv. Kesar was carried out in 2016-2017 at the Regional Horticultural Research Station, ASPEE College of Horticulture and Forestry, Navsari Agricultural University, Navsari (Gujarat). The experiment was arranged in a completely randomized design (CRD) with three replications containing 9 treatments. The results show that foliar application of ZnSO4 and FeSO4 (0.5% each) resulted in higher N (48.73 mg/100 g) and K (94.17 mg/100 g) in the pulp and P (0.056%) in the peel of mango. The iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn) contents in pulp and peel were highest in treatment T9 (0.50% FeSO4 + 0.50% ZnSO4), which was on par with those in treatment T8 (0.50% FeSO4 + 0.25% ZnSO4). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ion temperatures serve as an important diagnostic for inertial confinement fusion (ICF) implosions. In direct-drive ICF experiments on OMEGA, neutron-time-of-flight (nTOF) data are used to infer the ion temperature of the fusing plasma produced in the implosion experiment. The analysis of the nTOF data requires an assumption about the shape of the underlying source signal. Since the source nTOF signal is a near-replica of the neutron energy spectrum, an ideal Gaussian shape, corresponding to the neutron energy spectrum of a uniform temperature plasma, is routinely employed. However, spatial and temporal variations of the ion temperature in the plasma give rise to higher-order moments, which were first described by Munro [Nucl. Fusion 56, 036001 (2016)]. In this work, we show a simpler alternative analysis to derive moments of the neutron energy spectrum for a plasma with variations in ion temperature. We also present a revised analysis of measured nTOF signals that uses a model with an additional degree of freedom to take into account the effect of ion temperature variations on the shape of the spectrum. Compared to presently used nTOF analysis, the revised analysis yields on average ≈ 2 × more accurate fits to the data and up to 15% higher ion temperatures for cryogenic experiments. Furthermore, we quantify the ion temperature inflation caused by radially symmetric fluid flows, which are present even in a symmetric implosion, and which serve as a lower bound on the ion temperature inflation in real implosions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among the various insecticides evaluated for their field efficacy against sucking pests of Indian bean, the treatments of thiamethoxam 25WG at 0.025%, acetamiprid 20SP at 0.004% and buprofezin 25SC at 0.05% were found to be the most effective against Aphis craccivora Koch, Empoasca kerri Pruthi and Bemisia tabaci Gennadius. While, thiacloprid 21.7SC at 0.012% emerged as the moderately effective. Emamectin benzoate 5SG at 0.002%, indoxacarb 14.5SC at 0.007%, lambda-cyhalothrin 5SC at 0.005% and novaluron 10EC at 0.01% were found to be less effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The incidence of aphid Aphis craccivora Koch in Indian bean Lablab purpureus (L.) reached its peak during 2nd week of January (2nd SMW) with 25.27 aphids/twig of 10 cm. Maximum incidence of jassid Empoasca kerri Pruthi (8.20/leaf) and whitefly Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) (7.12/leaf) was observed during 4th week of December (52nd SMW). The thrips Megalurothrips distalis Karny started appearing from 4th week of November (48th SMW) reaching its peak (10.35/flower) during 1st SMW. Maximum larval counts of Helicoverpa armigera (Hubner) (5.79/plant) was observed during 2nd week of January (2nd SMW), while in case of Maruca vitrata Geyer (7.21/plant) it was during 2nd week of January (2nd SMW). Maximum and minimum temperature showed significant negative influence on the incidence of all these pests; and morning relative humidity showed significant negative effect on all except M. distalis. While morning vapour pressure showed significant negative influence on the incidence of all pests except E. kerri and B. tabaci. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple, rapid and novel reverse phase-high performance liquid chromatography method was developed for quantification of molnupiravir in its capsule dosage form which is recently approved for phase III clinical trials in moderate coronavirus disease patients in India. The chromatographic separation of Molnupiravir was achieved on reverse phase-high performance liquid chromatography using Eclipse Plus C18 (150×4.6 mm, 5 µ) column with buffer (pH 4.5) and methanol (70:30 v/v) as mobile phase. Method was validated in accordance with recommendations of International Council for Harmonisation Q2 (R1) guidelines. The linearity of the method was found to be excellent over the concentration range of 49.80-149.40 µg/ml. The mean of the coefficient of determinations (r2, n=3) was found to be 0.9999. The precision values (percentage relative standard deviation) and overall percentage recovery was found to be acceptable. The proposed method effectively separated the drug from its degradation products. Hence, it can be used as a stabilityindicating assay method for the routine analysis of molnupiravir in pharmaceutical formulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Uncontrolled neuropathic pain can negatively impact quality of life and daily activities. Many treatments have been proven effective, but a significant number of patients still experience uncontrolled pain or intolerable side effects. Purpose: A small crossover trial has suggested the efficacy of botulinum toxin (BoNT), but the long-term benefits are unknown. This study aims to report the long-term treatment benefits of BoNT in initial responders with refractory neuropathic pain. Methods: This study identified five male veterans treated with regular intradermal BoNT injection for more than 3 years for painful peripheral neuropathy. The 11-point Likert numeric scale was used to assess neuropathic pain severity before and after the treatments. Results: One patient had idiopathic neuropathy, while the remainder had diabetic neuropathy. They were initial responders to BoNT and continued injections ranging from 3.5 to 12 years. All reported sustained improvement with an average pain reduction of 7.4 points on Likert scale. No side effects were reported except for mild discomfort associated with the injection. Conclusion: In this case series, intradermal injection of BoNT every 3 months offers effective, sustained and well-tolerated neuropathic pain reduction in initial responders with either diabetic or idiopathic neuropathy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chilli (Capsicum annum L.) is one of the most important vegetable and spices crop grown across the world for the value for its valuable fruits and is popularly known as "red pepper" which belongs to night shade family Solanaceae. Isolate of Fusarium spp. were collected from the different location of villages of Bharuch districts. Six native Trichoderma spp. isolates viz., BVVT-1, BVDT-1, BJGT-2, BJGT-1, BNBT-2 and BJST-1 were isolated from the rihzospheric soil of chilli wilt infected fields. The maximum number of colony 4×10-4 was observed in BVVT-1 and minimum number observed as 1×10-4 in BJGT -1 and BNBT-2 isolate. The anti-fungal efficacy of native Trichoderma spp. studied using dual culture method revealed strong antagonism of isolate BVVT-1 against most virulent Fusarium spp. whereas remaining five isolates i.e., BVDT-1, BJGT-2, BJGT-1, BNBT-2 and BJST-1 isolates also appeared as potential antagonists. The six native isolates were also tested in pot condition against susceptible Eagle C4 chilli variety. The T2 treatment (BVVT-1 isolate) recorded significantly highest 17.60 cm shoot length and higher root length of 7.20 cm which remained at par with T1 treatment (BVDT-1 isolate) i.e., 6.83 cm root length. While the lowest root length 4.67 cm and shoot length 13.20 cm was recorded in BNBT-1 isolate and it also recorded the highest 36.67 per cent disease incidence with lowest 63.33 per cent disease control, so it was considered as least effective among all the isolates. The results concluded that the BVVT-1 isolate was the most effective and found to be best as it recorded the highest 83.33 per cent disease control with lowest 16.67 per cent disease incidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chilli (Capsicum annum L.) is one of the most important vegetable and spices crop grown across the world for the value for its valuable fruits and is popularly known as "red pepper" which belongs to night shade family Solanaceae. During the survey on chilli wilt disease occurrence, the symptoms observed on chilli infected plants were yellowing and brown vascular discoloration of plants, dried foliage and dead wilted plants. It was noticed that in all the surveyed villages of Bharuch district the disease was at peak and severely affected chilli crops from flowering to fruiting stage of crop especially during the month of November-December. Overall, 58.49 per cent disease incidence was recorded in the Bharuch district. The highest 70 per cent and lowest 24 per cent PDI was recorded in Valia and Bharuch taluka, respectively. PDP was also recorded highest 66.67 and lowest 20 per cent in Valia and Bharuch taluka, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present work we have studied the laser ablation of brass in air ambient at and above the ablation threshold. Photothermal deflection technique is used for determining the ablation threshold of brass. The technique is essentially based on measuring the deflection in the optical (probe) beam due to the gradient in refractive index close to the target surface produced by the pulsed (pump) laser beam. The deflection in the probe beam is slightly different below and above the ablation threshold. The experimentally obtained ablation threshold of brass is 3.1 J/cm2 which is in well agreement with the theoretically calculated value of 3 J/cm2. We have shown the preferential vaporization of Zn at the threshold in brass ablation. As we move above the threshold the intensity of Zn lines decreases and Cu lines increases. This work is applicable to the elemental analysis in the ablation process and segregation of elemental particles in thin film deposition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have demonstrated the fabrication of both armchair and zigzag epitaxial graphene nanoribbon (GNR) devices on 4H–SiC using a polymer-assisted sublimation growth method. The phenomenon of terrace step formation has traditionally introduced the risk of GNR deformation along sidewalls, but a polymer-assisted sublimation method helps mitigate this risk. Each type of 50 nm wide GNR is examined electrically and optically (armchair and zigzag), with the latter method being a check on the quality of the GNR devices and the former using alternating current to investigate resistance attenuation from frequencies above 100 Hz. Rates of attenuation are determined for each type of GNR device, revealing subtle suggested differences between armchair and zigzag GNRs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Diplomatic personnel frequently relocate as part of their roles, requiring them to adapt to various cultural and political conditions; many are also at risk of experiencing trauma from being deployed to high-threat postings. With diplomatic personnel having to balance the usual pressures of their work with the uncertainties of COVID-19 in recent years, it is particularly important now to understand how to protect their mental health. Aims To synthesize existing literature on the well-being of diplomatic personnel to improve understanding of how to protect their mental health. Methods A scoping review was carried out to explore what is already known about the well-being of staff working in diplomatic roles. Four databases were searched and reference lists, as well as one key journal, were hand-searched. Results Fifteen relevant publications were included. There was little consensus as to how the psychological well-being of diplomatic personnel compares to other populations or which factors predict well-being. Diplomats' psychological responses to traumatic experiences appeared similar to those of other trauma-exposed occupational groups. Conclusions Further research is needed to better understand the well-being of diplomatic personnel, particularly those not deployed to high-threat posts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is inherently low in protein content, Zn and Fe. Boost yield gains have unwittingly reduced grain Zn and Fe, which has had negative impacts on human health. The aim of this study was to understand the inheritance of grain yield per plant and grain Fe, Zn, and protein concentrations in bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) under normal and late sown conditions. Half diallel crosses were performed using 10 parents. The crosses and parents were evaluated in replicated trials for the two conditions, to assess the possibility of exploiting heterosis to improve micronutrient contents. The per se performance, heterosis, combining ability, and genetic components were estimated for different characters in both environments. The results revealed that hybrid GW 451 × GW 173 exhibited better parent heterosis (BPH) and standard heterotic effects (SH) in all environments. In both sowing conditions, the general combining ability (GCA) effects of poor × poor parents also showed high specific combining ability (SCA) effects of hybrids for both the micronutrients and protein contents. However, σ² A/σ² D greater than unity confirmed the preponderance of additive gene action for protein content, and GW 173 was identified as a good general combiner for these characteristics under both environments. SCA had positive significant (P < 0.001) correlations with BPH, SH1, SH2, and the phenotype for yield component traits and grain protein, Fe, and Zn concentrations in both conditions. A supplementary approach for biofortifying wheat grainis required to prevent malnutrition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For determination of morphological and biochemical basis of resistance in cowpea against the pod borers (Maruca vitrata F. and Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner)), ten cowpea cultivars were evaluated during kharif 2017 and 2018. Results revealed that cultivars having indeterminate growth, yellow flower, light green and short pods as well as long peduncle recorded lower pod borer population. Correlation between different plant morphological characters and the larval population were found nonsignificant. The cultivars having low protein, high phenol and low total soluble sugars in flowers and immature pods recorded lower larval population. The correlation between biochemical components of flowers and larval population were found to be non-significant. Biochemical components of immature pods revealed that phenol exhibited significant negative relationship with larval population, whereas, correlation of total soluble sugars of immature pods exhibited significant positive association with larval population. Among the cultivars screened, GC-6 and GC-1605 were found to be consistently resistant based on different morphological and biochemical factors and pod borer infestation. Relatively GC-1609, GC-1611 and GC-2 showed lesser pod borer infestation. GC-1606 was found to be highly susceptible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Bariatric surgery is a successful treatment for sustainable weight loss and has been associated with improvement in cardiovascular function. Pregnancy after bariatric surgery is becoming increasingly common; however, little is known about the maternal cardiovascular system postsurgery. The aim of this study was to investigate maternal cardiovascular adaptation to pregnancy in women with previous bariatric surgery, compared with that in women with no history of weight‐loss surgery and an early‐pregnancy body mass index (BMI) similar to the presurgery BMI of the postbariatric women. Methods: This was a prospective, observational, longitudinal study conducted from April 2018 to June 2020 including 30 pregnant women who had undergone bariatric surgery and 30 who had not, matched for presurgery BMI. Participants were seen at three timepoints during pregnancy: 12–14, 20–24 and 30–32 weeks' gestation. At all visits, maternal blood pressure (BP) was measured and cardiac geometry and function were assessed using two‐dimensional (2D) transthoracic echocardiography. On a subset of patients (15 in each group), 2D speckle tracking was performed to assess global longitudinal and circumferential strain. Offline analysis was performed, and multilevel linear mixed‐effects models were used for all comparisons. Results: Compared with the no‐surgery group, and across all trimesters, pregnant women with previous bariatric surgery had lower BP, heart rate and cardiac output and higher peripheral vascular resistance (P < 0.01 for all). Similarly, the postbariatric group demonstrated more favorable cardiac geometry and diastolic indices, including lower left ventricular mass, left atrial volume and relative wall thickness, together with higher E‐wave/A‐wave flow velocity across the mitral valve and higher mitral velocity (E′) at the lateral and medial annulus on tissue Doppler imaging (P < 0.01 for all). There was no difference in ejection fraction, although global longitudinal strain was lower in postbariatric women (P < 0.01), indicating better systolic function. Conclusion: Our findings indicate better maternal cardiovascular adaptation in women with previous bariatric surgery compared with presurgery BMI‐matched pregnant women with no history of weight‐loss surgery. © 2022 The Authors. Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An investigation was carried out at Horticultural Instructional Farm, Chimanbhai Patel College of Agriculture, Sardarkrushinagar during 2019-20. Results revealed that the Spinosad 45 SC (0.036%) was found to be the most effective against pomegranate thrips, followed by Cyantraniliprole 10.26 OD (0.0072%) and Clothianidin 50 WDG (0.025%). While for the management of pomegranate aphid Clothianidin 50 WDG @ (0.025%) gave excellent results, followed by Cyantraniliprole 10.26 OD (0.0072%). While, Dinotefuran 20 SG (0.0055%) was found least effective treatment against sucking pests of pomegranate. Whereas, effect of newer molecules on natural enemies revealed that, Cyantraniliprole 10.26 OD (0.0072%) was the safest insecticide on coccinellids, followed by Spinosad 45 SC (0.036%), whereas, Thiamethoxam 25 WG (0.0084%) had the most harmful effect to the coccinellids in pomegranate. In case of chrysopids, Cyantraniliprole 10.26 OD (0.0072%) and Spinosad 45 SC (0.036%) were proved to be the least harmful treatments, whereas, Thiamethoxam 25 WG (0.0084%) and Clothianidin 50 WDG (0.025%) had the detrimental effect to the chrysopids in pomegranate eco-system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present investigation, the influence of addition of the rare earth element samarium (Sm) in different concentrations (0, 0.1, 0.3, 0.5, 0.7 and 0.9wt.%) on the microstructure and tensile properties of the Al-Si-Cu 319 alloy have been evaluated. Microstructural constituents such as SDAS of a-Al and characteristics of eutectic silicon particles were observed by optical microscopy. It was concluded from the findings that Sm addition reduces the size of secondary dendrite arm spacings (SDAS) and altered the morphology of the eutectic silicon particles from needle-like to lamellar and smaller segments. The tensile properties of the Al-Si-Cu 319 alloy improved with the concentration of Sm. It was found that the highest tensile properties were obtained at 0.7wt.% addition of Sm, i.e., 55.5% higher than unmodified 319 alloy. With the further addition of the Sm above 0.7wt.%, it does not improve the tensile properties of the alloy. This can be attributed to the precipitation of the brittle and needle like quaternary Sm-rich intermetallic compounds observed through Scanning electron microscopy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improving the performance of inertial confinement fusion implosions requires physics models that can accurately predict the response to changes in the experimental inputs. Good predictive capability has been demonstrated for the fusion yield using a statistical mapping of simulated outcomes to experimental data [Gopalaswamy et al., Nature 565(771), 581–586 (2019)]. In this paper, a physics-based statistical mapping approach is used to extract and quantify all the major sources of degradation of fusion yield for direct-drive implosions on the OMEGA laser. The yield is found to be dependent on the age of the deuterium tritium fill, the ℓ = 1 asymmetry in the implosion core, the laser beam-to-target size ratio, and parameters related to the hydrodynamic stability. A controlled set of experiments were carried out where only the target fill age was varied while keeping all other parameters constant. The measurements were found to be in excellent agreement with the fill age dependency inferred using the mapping model. In addition, a new implosion design was created, guided by the statistical mapping model by optimizing the trade-offs between increased laser energy coupling at larger target size and the degradations caused by the laser beam-to-target size ratio and hydrodynamic instabilities. When experimentally performed, an increased fusion yield was demonstrated in targets with larger diameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The field experiment was undertaken to evaluate the bio-efficacy and phytotoxicity of afidopyropen 5.0 % + abamectin 2.5% DC against leafhoppers and thrips in Bt cotton during Kharif 2019-20 and 2020-21 at Cotton Research Station, Talod, Sardarkrushinagar Dantiwada Agricultural University, Sardarkrushinagar, Gujarat, India. Results revealed that all the treatments were effective in controlling leafhoppers and thrips populations and a significant increase in yield but among the tested chemicals afidopyropen 5.0% + abamectin 2.5% DC @ 56.26 g a.i./ha was found to be effective in reducing the population of leaf hoppers as well as thrips. The maximum yield of 22.39 q/ha and 30.94 q/ha were recorded in afidopyropen 5.0% + abamectin 2.5% DC @ 56.26 g a.i./ha during Kharif 2019-20 and 2020-21, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improving yield is the main aim of plant breeders. In the case of bread wheat (Triticum aestivum), a major challenge in this regard is genotype–environment interactions, and a knowledge of these is required to successfully select high-yielding genotypes. In this study, graphical and numerical approaches of diallel analysis have been used to reveal such interactions. Ten different wheat genotypes were crossed using a half-diallel approach. The parents, hybrids, and standard checks were evaluated at the Regional Research Station, Anand Agricultural University, Gujarat, Anand, India under both standard and late-sown conditions in two separate years (E1 and E2 (normal-18 November 2018 and late sown-10 December 2018, respectively, Rabi 2018–2019), E3 and E4 (normal-18 November 2019 and late sown-10 December 2019, respectively, Rabi 2019–2020)). For each sowing, 't2' values were calculated for eleven phenotypic characteristics: days to 50% heading, days to maturity, plant height, number of effective tillers per plant, length of main stem, number of spikelets per main spike, number of grains per main spike, grain yield per main spike, grain yield per plant, 1000-grain weight, and harvest index. Components of the gene effect revealed that the number of spikelets per main spike in E2 and E4, and the number of grains per main spike in E2 were governed by both additive and dominance gene action across the environments. Other characteristics were the greater influence of the dominance gene effect, except for days to 50% heading in E1, E2, E3, and E4; days to maturity in E2, E3, and E4; grain yield per main spike in E4. Many characteristics exhibited overdominance, an asymmetrical distribution of positive–negative, dominance–recessive genes, and narrow-sense heritability in all environments. In graphical analysis, regression value 'b' was unity for days to 50% heading (E1 and E4) and 1000-grain weight (E3 and E4), which revealed an absence of digenic interactions for these characteristics in the respective environments. Therefore, a given population may be improved to isolate superior recombinants for the development of desired parents in future breeding programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hot electrons generated from laser plasma instabilities degrade performance of direct drive implosions by preheating the deuterium and tritium (DT) fuel resulting in early decompression and lower areal densities at stagnation. A technique to quantify the hot electron preheat of the dense DT fuel and connect it to the degradation in areal density is described in detail. Hot electrons are measured primarily from the hard x-rays they emit as they slow down in the target. The DT preheat is inferred from a comparison of the hard x-ray signals between a DT-layered implosion and its mass equivalent ablator only implosion. The preheat energy spatial distribution within the imploding shell is inferred from experiments using high Z payloads of varying thicknesses. It is found that the electrons deposit their energy uniformly throughout the shell material. For typical direct-drive OMEGA implosions driven with an overlapped intensity of ∼ 9 · 10 14 W / cm 2 , approximately ∼ 0.02 % – 0.03 % of the laser energy is converted into preheat of the stagnated fuel which corresponds to areal density degradations of 10%–20%. The degradations in areal density explain some of the observed discrepancies between the simulated and measured areal densities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low- and mid-mode perturbations are possible candidates for performance limitations in cryogenic direct-drive implosions on the OMEGA laser at the Laboratory of Laser Energetics. Simulations with a 3D hydrocode demonstrated that hotspot imagers do not show evidence of the shell breakup in the dense fuel. However, these same simulations revealed that the low- and mid-mode perturbations in the dense fuel could be diagnosed more easily in the post-stagnation phase of the implosion by analyzing the peak in the x-ray emission limb at the coronal–fuel interface than before or at the stagnation phase. In experiments, the asymmetries are inferred from gated images of the x-ray emission of the implosion by using a 16-pinhole array imager filtered to record x-ray energies >800 eV and an x-ray framing camera with 40-ps time integration and 20-μm spatial resolution. A modal analysis is applied to the spatial distribution of the x-ray emission from deuterium and tritium cryogenic implosions on OMEGA recorded after the bang time to diagnose the low- and mid-mode asymmetries, and to study the effect that the beam-to-target ratio (Rb/Rt) has on the shell integrity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fifty two genotypes of Indian bean were examined for the genetic variability parameters and trait correlation for 11 yield contributing traits in F5 progenies. Analysis revealed that these genotypes had a considerable level of diversity. The magnitude of GCV and PCV was high for seed yield per plant, which indicated the potential for selection based genetic enhancement. The GCV and PCV values were moderate for pod weight, pods width and pod length. High heritability along with high genetic advance as per cent mean was recorded for pod width, pod length, pod weight and seed yield per plant. The seed yield per plant had a significant positive correlation with pod weight, plant height, pod length, pod width and seeds per pod. The overall genotypic path analysis revealed that racemes per plant exhibited the highest positive direct effects on seed yield per plant followed by direct effects of pod length, pods per raceme, pod width and pod weight. Therefore, simple selection is advised for pod length, pod width and pod weight to boost the yield of the Indian bean. Based on mean values, the progenies W-19-26, W-19-22 and W-19-25 of GNIB-21 × GP-167 among all crosses had shown significantly higher seed yield over the check varieties GNIB-21 and GNIB-22 and hence identified as elite genotypes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The occurrence of disasters such as earthquakes, cyclones, tsunamis, and floods affect the resilience of bridges. In the last four decades, about 2,130 bridges were collapsed due to various disasters in India, and out of these, almost 1,105 bridges were ruined due to floods. However, in the existing practice of measuring the resilience of bridges, resilience matrices overlook the dynamism of bridge resilience and fail to address the uncertainty of variables influencing the resilience of bridges due to floods. Therefore, this study aims to develop the fuzzy system dynamics (FSD) model to simulate and forecast bridge resilience considering complex interconnections among different infrastructures and government systems. For this, the study first shortlists 14 variables related to bridge resilience using the Delphi method. Then, the cause-and-effect feedback loop and stock-and-flow diagram are formulated to explore the interdependency among these system dynamics variables of bridge resilience. Fuzzy measures and integral are used to establish the soft relationships and the existing mathematical formulas to explain the hard relationships in the FSD model. The proposed FSD model is used to simulate and forecast scenarios of the resilience of 12 bridges against floods. The structure and behavior of the FSD model are validated by conducting the dimension consistency test, structure verification test, and sensitivity analysis. The proposed model can be helpful to bridge owners to manage bridge assets, prioritize the repair and rehabilitation of bridges, propose the new bridges, devise the new policy, coordinate with other utilities and governance agencies, and thus enhance the bridge's resilience against floods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wheat is one of the main cereals. At this time, the crucial difficulty in improving nutritional traits is the influence on genotypes of different environments. Selecting superior genotypes on the basis of a gene effects analysis for varying environments is demanded. In this study, 10 different genotypes of bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) were used. Parents, hybrids, and two standard checks were evaluated in a complete randomized block design with three replicates in four environments: E1 and E2 (normal and late sown, Rabi 2018-19) & E3 and E4 (normal and late sown, Rabi 2019-20). The analysis of the components of the gene effect revealed that most of the characters were governed by additive and dominant gene actions in the environments; for gluten, the wet gluten (E2) and starch (E3) content were the only dominant components (H1 and H2) with a significant gene effect. Overdominance, asymmetrical distribution of positive–negative and dominant–recessive genes, and narrow-sense heritability were observed in most of the characters in all environments. In a graphical analysis, the regression value b was observed to be in unity among protein content (E1 and E3), sedimentation value (E1, E2, and E3), and starch content (E1), indicating the absence of digenic interactions. Based on the intercept of the regression line on the Wr axis, the degree of dominance for protein content (E1 and E3), sedimentation value (E1, E2, and E3), and starch content (E1) was depicted as overdominance. Therefore, a given population may be improved to isolate superior recombinants for the development of desired parents in future breeding programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tinospora cordifolia commonly known as giloy is used in traditional Ayurvedic medicine and the Indian system of medicine (ISM) since times immemorial. The plant is designated as Rasayana in ayurveda and is very well known for building up the immune system and body’s defence against definite infecting micro-organisms. There are 40 species but 4 species are found in India. It is a herbaceous perennial vine that belongs to the family Menispermaceae. It is widely used as a unique ingredient of various natural medicine and traditionally use for numerous ailments like fever, vomiting, diabetes, jaundice, anaemia, polyuria and skin diseases etc. It has antimicrobial activity, anticancer activity, anti-diabetic activity, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and immunomodulatory properties. Giloy is also used in the treatment of coronaviruses because giloy built a strong immunity in the human body against covid-19. A variety of active components derived from the plant like alkaloids, steroids, diterpenoid lactones, aliphatic, and glycosides have been isolated from the different parts of the plant, like root, stem, leaves and whole plant. The current study explores and establishes the biological and medicinal properties and phytochemistry of Tinospora cordifolia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Alcohol induced dose dumping is a noteworthy question in designing of modified release dosage forms and it led the marketed products withdrawal by regulatory agencies. Diltiazem HCl is a highly watersoluble drug and may undergo faster dissolution in presence of alcohol. The purpose of the present study was to develop extended-release tablets of Diltiazem HCl tablets by direct compression method having robustness in hydro-alcoholic media. Materials and Methods: Using QbD approach, lubricants and polymer as CMAs and drug release as CQAs were identified and further optimization was done by employing 32 factorial design. The extended-release tablets were evaluated for hardness, friability, weight variation and dissolution study was performed in 40% Alcoholic Phosphate buffer pH 5.8. Results: The scientific finding reveals that the concentration of HPMC K-100M DC (12%) and xanthan gums (12%) are capable of providing extended release of drug till the end of 12 hr in pH 5.8 phosphate buffer as well as in 40% Alcoholic Phosphate buffer pH 5.8. Conclusion: These results showed a robust in-vitro drug release profile when exposed to hydro-alcoholic media till 12 hr. Formulation was subjected to accelerated condition for stability testing and was found satisfactory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For designing of the breeding programme, analysis of genetic variability and character correlation is crucial in crop improvement. The aim of this experiment was to estimate genetic variability parameters and trait association for 13 quantitative traits which were measured in F2 segregating populations of six crosses containing nine parents. All the F2 populations showed significant GCV and PCV values for productive tillers per plant, grains per panicle, grain yield per plant and straw yield per plant, indicating that these traits may be improved through selection. Plant height, productive tillers per plant, grains per panicle, grain yield per plant and straw yield per plant showed high heritability coupled with high genetic advance, indicating that these traits were controlled by additive gene action and have a good chance of improvement through pure line selection. Grain yield per plant exhibited a strong positive correlation with plant height, panicle length, grains per panicle, straw yield per plant, productive tillers per plant and harvest index in all the six F2 segregating populations. The F2 population of the cross GR 17 × NVSR 2740 demonstrated that more GCV and PCV, high heritability with high genetic advance for the majority of the traits which can be improved by selection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, line× tester analysis was carried out at Castor-Mustard Research Station, S. D. Agricultural University, Sardarkrushinagar, Gujarat, India during rabi 2018-19 (October 2018 to February 2019) in order to estimate all three types of heterosis (relative heterosis, heterobeltiosis and economic heterosis) for identification of superior cross combinations of Indian mustard [Brassica juncea (L.) Czern&Coss]. Thirty-five hybrids along with five CMS lines, seven testers and check GDM 4 were evaluated for ten different traits. The F1 generation of all the crosses exhibited fertility restoration with pollen fertility except F1 crosses with Vardan, Rohini and SKM 319 fertile line (0%). The remaining crosses exhibited pollen fertility ranging from 68.26% (Kranti×SKM 303) to 85.17% (Kranti×Mori 'R' 1-18). The analysis of variance for parents, hybrids and parents vs. hybrids revealed that mean sum of squares of parents were highly significant for majority of the characters except days to maturity. Whereas, hybrids differed highly significant for all the characters. Comparison of mean squares due to parents vs. hybrids was found significant for almost all the characters except number of seeds siliqua-1 and oil content. This indicates that considerable amount of genetic variability present among the parents and hybrids for all the characters studied. On the basis of per se performance, three hybrids viz., Kranti×Mori 'R' 1-18, SKM 9928×PusaAgrani and SKM 9928×Mori 'R' 1-18 were foundpromising for seed yield plant-1 over the standard check GDM 4. With respect to heterosis, one of the hybrid Kranti×Mori 'R' 1-18 (17.85 %)manifested significant and positive standard heterosis for seed yield plant-1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three-dimensional effects play a crucial role during the hot-spot formation in inertial confinement fusion (ICF) implosions. A data analysis technique for 3D hot-spot reconstruction from experimental observables has been developed to characterize the effects of low modes on 3D hot-spot formations. In nuclear measurements, the effective flow direction, governed by the maximum eigenvalue in the velocity variance of apparent ion temperatures, has been found to agree with the measured hot-spot flows for implosions dominated by mode ℓ = 1. Asymmetries in areal-density (ρR) measurements were found to be characterized by a unique cosine variation along the hot-spot flow axis. In x-ray images, a 3D hot-spot x-ray emission tomography method was developed to reconstruct the 3D hot-spot plasma emissivity using a generalized spherical-harmonic Gaussian function. The gradient-descent algorithm was used to optimize the mapping between the projections from the 3D hot-spot emission model and the measured x-ray images along multiple views. This work establishes a platform to analyze 3D low-mode core asymmetries in ICF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a frequent cause of death worldwide, and in sub-Saharan Africa particularly. Human immunodeficiency virus infection (HIV) and tuberculosis (TB) influence pathogen distribution in patients with CAP. Previous studies in sub-Saharan Africa have shown different frequencies of respiratory pathogens and antibiotic susceptibility compared to studies outside Africa. This study aimed to investigate the aetiology, presentation, and treatment outcomes of community-acquired pneumonia in adults at the University Teaching Hospital in Lusaka, Zambia. Materials and methods: Three-hundred-and-twenty-seven patients were enrolled at the University Teaching Hospital in Lusaka between March 2018 and December 2018. Clinical characteristics and laboratory data were collected. Sputum samples were tested by microscopy, other TB diagnostics, and bacterial cultures. Results: The commonest presenting complaint was cough (96%), followed by chest pain (60.6%), fever (59.3%), and breathlessness (58.4%). The most common finding on auscultation of the lungs was chest crackles (51.7%). Seventy percent of the study participants had complaints lasting at least a week before enrolment. The prevalence of HIV was 71%. Sputum samples were tested for 286 patients. The diagnostic yield was 59%. The most common isolate was Mycobacterium tuberculosis (20%), followed by Candida species (18%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (12%), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (7%). Streptococcus pneumoniae was isolated in only four patients. There were no statistically significant differences between the rates of specific pathogens identified in HIV-infected patients compared with the HIV-uninfected. Thirty-day mortality was 30%. Patients with TB had higher 30-day mortality than patients without TB (p = 0.047). Conclusion: Mycobacterium tuberculosis was the most common cause of CAP isolated in adults at the University Teaching Hospital in Lusaka, Zambia. Gram-negative organisms were frequently isolated. A high mortality rate was observed, as 30% of the followed-up study population had died after 30 days. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) is an important in manufacturing industries where it is significant to control the mechanical and metallurgical characteristics and its weld bead geometry. This research work has been committed to study the influence of oxide fluxes on welding of 4 mm thick 304 austenitic stainless steel plates. The Al2O3 and TiO2 were used as an oxide flux in powder form and are mixed with the acetone. The prepared mixture is then applied on bead plate without any joint preparation and without filler wire addition. The Taguchi method with L9 orthogonal array has been used to determine the optimal weld process parameters. The current work aims to explore the influence of weld parameters on weld bead geometry (i.e. weld bead width, penetration and angular distortion), and mechanical and metallurgical characteristics for 304 stainless steel welds. The oxide flux seems to narrow the arc and thereby the current density increases at the anode spot, that results in high weld depth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Green gram is a drought resistant crop requires low inputs. The productivity of mung bean is very low. Initial germination, growth and vigour are some major reasons of low productivity. The present investigation was carried out to study the effect of seed hardening on morpho-physiological and seedling quality characters in green gram. Methods: The green gram var. GAM-5 was imposed with seed hardening treatments viz., 2% CaCl2, 500 ppm Cycocel, 1000 ppm Cycocel, 25 ppm NAA, 50 ppm NAA, water soaked control and absolute control. The treated seeds along with control were evaluated for their seedling quality characters under laboratory conditions. Result: The study reported that seeds hardened with CaCl2 @ 2% recorded higher germination per cent, root, shoot and seedling length, fresh weight, turgor weight, dry weight and seed vigour index I and II. Seed hardened with 50 ppm NAA reported higher root dry weight and root to shoot ratio on dry weight basis while Cycocel 1000 ppm treatment recorded higher root to shoot ratio on length basis. The treatments CaCl2 2% followed by Cycocel 1000 ppm were found to be superior as compared to other treatments and control on the basis of lab studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]