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The present study was carried out at Central Potato Research Station, Shillong during 2013 and 2014 to assess the growth and yield performance of three grades of in-vitro produced micro-tubers viz. >8 mm, 4-8 mm and 8 mm) showed significantly superior plant survival, canopy cover, plant height, number of compound leaves per plant, number of stems per plant and plant vigour followed by 4-8 mm grade and more...

A solar eclipse occurs when the Sun, Moon and Earth are aligned in such a way that shadow of the Moon falls on the Earth. The Moon׳s shadow also falls on the Earth orbiting spacecraft. In this case, the alignment of the Sun, Moon, and spacecraft is similar to that of the Sun, Moon, and Earth but this phenomenon is often referred as a lunar eclipse falling on the spacecraft. Lunar eclipse is not as regular in terms of times of occurrence, duration, and depth as the Earth shadow eclipse and number of its occurrence per orbital location per year ranges from zero to four with an average of two per year; a spacecraft may experience two to three lunar eclipses within a twenty-four hour period [2] . These lunar eclipses can cause severe spacecraft operational problems. This paper describes two lunar shadow eclipse prediction models using a projection map approach and a line of intersection method by extending the Earth shadow eclipse models described by Srivastava et al. [10] , [11] for the Earth orbiting spacecraft. The attractive feature of both models is that they are much easier to implement. Both mathematical models have been simulated for two Indian low Earth orbiting spacecrafts: Oceansat-2, Saral-1, and two geostationary spacecrafts: GSAT-10, INSAT-4CR. Results obtained by the models compare well with lunar shadow model given by Escobal and Robertson [12] , and high fidelity commercial software package, Systems Tool Kit (STK) of AGI. more...

The uncertainties which occur in wind energy generation system (WECS) due to fault causes severe effects on the grid stability and potentially degrades the reliability of system. These suspicions make the generating system to be disconnected from grid. However, disconnection of WECS is not allowed under such scenarios as it shares a significant portion of grid load. Modern grid code puts some constraint on the system which defines blue print for continuity of wind system operation. Not only the grid code but even the wind system based doubly fed induction generator (DFIG) indicate rotor over current, DC-Link over voltage situations. These abnormalities must be carefully examined and properly handled. To accomplish these objectives, this paper proposes a combined scheme incorporating supercapacitor energy storage system (SCESS) and DC-super conducting fault current limiter (DC-SFCL). The SCESS will be able to manage the surplus power during fault condition at DC-Link capacitor and hence restricts the DC-Link over voltage. It also helps to improve the power quality under normal steady state operation. The DC-SFCL will be able to restrict the rotor over current, electromagnetic torque oscillations under prescribed threshold limits. The restriction of fault resulting from the proposed scheme ensures the generator safety and allows continuous operation of system even in case of severe grid fault. The proposed scheme is validated by using MATLAB/SIMULINK based environment. more...

Dual-band C-shaped circular slot substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) antennas are proposed in this paper. The C-shaped structure is constructed using slot region oriented along the longitudinal as well as the transversal directions to feed line. A C-shaped circular slot SIW antenna is designed and fabricated to achieve larger bandwidth, higher gain and low cross polarization level. The designed C-shaped circular slot SIW antenna produces dual band measured response in the frequency range of 11.05 GHz to 11.30 GHz and 12.80 GHz to 13.30 GHz, with the center frequencies of 11.19 GHz, and 13.06 GHz, respectively. At these center frequencies measured gain is 8.81 dBi and 8.70 dBi, respectively. more...

A field experiment was conducted during the summer season of 2013 at Central Potato Research Station, Shillong, Meghalayato study the effect of sea weed saps on growth and productivity of potato in the North Eastern hill region of India.The trial was laid out in randomized block design, replicated thrice, with 10 treatments. The number of shoot per plant was found to be non-significant and vary from 2.8 to 3.0. The maximum plant at harvest was recorded under application 7.5 Kappaphycus Spray + 100% RDF while lowest under 6.25% + 50% RDF.Maximum small size tuber was found with an application of 10 % Gracilaria spray + RDF which was at par with 2.5 % Kappaphycus spray + RDF and 7.5 % Gracilariaspray + RDF but significantly superior to other treatment. However, the highest medium size tube of potato was noticed under 6.25% Kappaphycus spray along with 50% recommended dose of fertilizer. Highest large size tuber was recorded with an application of 5% Kappaphycusspray + RDF followed by 2.5% Kappaphycus spray along with RDF as well as 7.5 % Gracilaria spray + RDF which was at par, but significantly superior to rest of treatment. Application of 2.5% Kappaphycus spray + 100% RDF recorded the highest productivity of potato (27.1 t/ha) followedby 100% RDF + Kappaphycus spray @ 5.0% (26.6 t/ha) which were at par with each other but significantly superior to the rest of treatments.Based on the economic yield of potato, it may be concluded that the application of 2.5 % Kappaphycus spray + 100% RDF was found to be more profitable under rainfed condition of Meghalaya more...

In the modern era, Disaster Management has become an important field of study. With the advent of telecommunication system and their possible integration with the existing disaster management system, it is possible to minimize the after effects of disaster. In this paper we present a study of available and possible disaster management system based on wireless mobile telecommunication. In order to use such a system in the actual world security requirements such as availability, accountability, integrity and confidentiality must be ensured by the disaster management system. more...

A field trial was conducted during two consecutive summer seasons of2012 and 2013 at ICAR-Central Potato Research Station, Shillong, Meghalaya to evaluate the integration of nutrient sources on productivity and soil health under rainfed potato cultivation in north eastern hill region of India. There were six treatments of integrated nutrient management viz., 100% Recommended dose of fertilizers,75% RDF through synthetic fertilizers and 25% recommended dose of nitrogen (RDN) through FYM, 50% RDF and 50% RDN through FYM, 25% RDF and 75% RDN through FYM, 100% RDN through FYM and control (no application of any sources of nutrients). The experiment was laid out in randomized block design with four replications. Nutrient management practices showed the significant improvement on growth and yield attributes of potato over control plot. Highest productivity of potato tubers (t/ha) was noticed with application of 75% RDF through synthetic fertilizers along with 25% RDN through FYM. Similarly, the maximum net return was associated with application of 75% RDF and 25% RDN through FYM under investigation. Application of 75% Recommended dose of nutrients through synthetic fertilizers in combination with 25% Recommended dose of nitrogen through FYM was more profitable for sustainable production of potato in the north eastern hill region of India. more...

Biological system inevitably produces reactive oxygen species (ROS) like superoxide (O2−), hydroxyl (OH−), peroxyl (RO2−), alkoxyl (RO−), etc. and reactive nitrogen species (RNS). Oxidative stress occurs when biological system failed to neutralize and eliminate the generated free radicals and active intermediates. To fight with the oxidative stress caused by ROS and RNS, animal and human cells have developed a ubiquitous antioxidant defense system consisting of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and glutathione reductase (GR) together with lot of other low-molecular-weight antioxidants such as ascorbate, α-tocopherol, glutathione (GSH), etc. more...

The numerical modeling for the cool water outfall discharge from the LNG Plant is undertaken using CORMIX to evaluate the design of diffuser for discharge. The hydrodynamic data tide and currents are used inputs to the model. It is then calibrated using monitored data. The software has been run to calculate the mixing zone and dilution patterns for various flow conditions. Model result shows that ambient condition is achieved within 64 m from the proposed outfall locations. From the results of the modeling studies it can be concluded that the proposed diffuser design and outfall locations are suitable for all tide conditions. It also shows that there is no significant impact on the marine life due to the proposed cool water discharge, beyond the small area around the discharge location, as the parameters are attaining near ambient water quality within the acceptable space and time. more...

Embelia ribes Burm f., also known as Vidanga or Baibidanga, belonging to the family of Myrsinaceae, is an important but vulnerable medicinal woody climber. Recent survey and observations of E. ribes in different aspects like distribution, population structure, growth habit, climate, natural regeneration and seedling ecology in Karnataka have been thoroughly discussed. This is the first report on artificial regeneration through seeds of diverse origins in ex-situ and in situ conditions and field planting of them in its natural environment. Field planting of in vitro and nursery raised seedlings showed better field performance in terms of survival and growth in its natural growing areas only. Current studies and observations have shown that this species has low ecological gradient and is a “habitat specialist”. E. ribes being a threatened species with small populations coupled with low ecological gradient and virtually no natural regeneration, a modified approach of quasi in situ conservation where in in-situ raising of seedlings of diverse origin with an aim to enrich the diversity of existing population was attempted with considerable success. more...

Anthranilate synthase (AS) is the first branch node enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of chorismate to anthranilate in the high energy-consuming tryptophan biosynthetic pathway in Serratia marcescens. AS, with an allosterically-bound inhibitor (tryptophan), shows complete inhibition in its catalytic function, but the inhibitor-bound structure is very similar to that of the substrate-bound AS. Even though the reaction mechanisms of several chorismate-utilizing enzymes are known, the unusual structure–function relationship in catalysis and allosteric inhibition of AS by tryptophan, with an insignificant change in structure, remains elusive. In the absence of structural variation, we use an integrated computational approach of coarse-grained protein contact networks, Gaussian network model, and atomistic Molecular Dynamics simulations of the substrate-bound and inhibitor-bound AS structures, and show the role of small but critical allosteric changes that induce complete inhibition of AS activity. We predict, through dynamic correlation studies, perturbation in crucial inter-subunit interactions between the two substrate-binding sites (“ammonia channel”) and the allosteric inhibitor-binding site, and identify, through shortest path analysis, the non-active site residues participating in the communication pathways. We argue that such a regulatory mechanism (change in function without a significant change in the structure) for catalysis is useful for a branch point enzyme that has to undergo fast redistribution of fluxes according to different metabolic states of the organism. Being essential to the survival of microorganisms, including pathogenic ones, and absent in mammals, AS is a highly attractive drug target. Thus, the allosteric AS residues participating in catalysis identified in this study could be important for drugability. more...

Iodine is an important micronutrient for the marine fish metamorphosis and rotifers contain relatively low amounts of iodine compared to copepods, the main natural prey for marine fish larvae. In previous studies, rotifers were enriched with iodine from NaI. However, this source of iodine is poorly retained in rotifers during storage. In the present study rotifers were enriched (3 h) with graded levels of thymol iodide (TI), 3-5-diiodosalicylic acid (DISA), chelated iodine (CI), kelp and sodium iodide (NaI) mixed with a commercial enrichment diet (Ori-green®). Thereafter, iodine retention in rotifers enriched with selected iodine sources and concentration and stored (0, 1, 2, 5, 10 and 18 h) at high and low temperatures was studied (room temperatures at 24 and 7 °C, respectively). Linear regression showed a positive relationship between dietary and rotifer iodine concentration for all iodine sources. Results from the first trial showed that 0.36–2.03% replacement of the enrichment diet with TI, gave copepod iodine levels. Maximum iodine level (446.67 mg kg− 1 DW) was observed in the rotifers fed with a diet containing 9.7 g kg− 1 rotifer DW, added iodine from TI. 118 mg kg− 1 DW iodine was observed in rotifers fed with diet containing 9.7 g kg− 1 rotifer DW, added iodine from DISA. Rotifers enriched with kelp, gained maximum up to 196 mg kg− 1 DW iodine in this study. Chelated iodine was a poor source of iodine for rotifer enrichment. Even with 100% replacement of the enrichment diet with CI, rotifers were not able to reach the lower copepod iodine level (50 mg kg− 1 DW). 0.3 g l− 1 NaI gave 370 mg kg− 1 DW iodine in rotifers. Trial 1 indicated that with TI, DISA and NaI, rotifers can be enriched to copepod level with minimal replacement of the enrichment diet. In trial 2, temperature did not affect the rotifer iodine retention. In the first h of storage, rotifer enriched with TI lost 34–62% iodine and rotifers enriched with DISA lost 55–66% iodine while NaI enriched rotifers lost 78–85% iodine. After 18 h storage 79–97% loss was observed in rotifers enriched with NaI and 40–56% loss was observed in rotifers enriched with TI. Loss of the other compounds was intermediate. In conclusion, thymol iodide seems to be a good source of iodine for enrichment of rotifers as only more...

Protein structural biology came a long way since the determination of the first three-dimensional structure of myoglobin about six decades ago. Across this period, X-ray crystallography was the most important experimental method for gaining atomic-resolution insight into protein structures. However, as the role of dynamics gained importance in the function of proteins, the limitations of X-ray crystallography in not being able to capture dynamics came to the forefront. Computational methods proved to be immensely successful in understanding protein dynamics in solution, and they continue to improve in terms of both the scale and the types of systems that can be studied. In this review, we briefly discuss the limitations of X-ray crystallography in studying protein dynamics, and then provide an overview of different computational methods that are instrumental in understanding the dynamics of proteins and biomacromolecular complexes. more...

The current best practice intensive culture of larval Atlantic cod includes feeding rotifers from onset of exogenous feeding until 25–30 days after hatching. These larvae grow considerably slower and develop higher frequencies of deformities than larvae reared in semi-extensive systems, using copepods as feed. The present study compares the micronutrient concentrations in rotifers with those of copepods, with the aim of identifying nutrients that may be limiting for normal growth and development of cod larvae. An additional criterion used is the nutrient requirements given for fish in general, by NRC (1993), as nutrient requirements of cod remains to be determined. Rotifers were fed on four different diets, consisting of baker’s yeast with cod liver oil (3.3 : 1 dry weight (DW)/v), baker’s yeast with Algamac 2000 TM (3.5 : 1 DW), baker’s yeast with live algae Chlorella (4.1 : 1 DW), and Culture Selco 3000 TM (CS). CS was a complete commercial diet for rotifers while the other diets are considered as based on raw ingredients. Compared with copepod nutrient levels, rotifers grown on yeast-based diets supplemented with either cod liver oil, Algamac 2000 or Chlorella were apparently sufficient for covering the requirements in cod larvae for all the B-vitamins, except thiamine. Rotifers cultured on the CS diet also had sufficient amounts of thiamine. Of the minerals, only calcium and magnesium were sufficient, using this criterion while iron was on the borderline. However, with reference to the requirements given for larger fish (NRC 1993), only thiamine, vitamin A, manganese, selenium and perhaps copper, appear too low in the rotifers cultured without extra micronutrient supplementation. The other nutrients were present at levels intermediate between copepod and fish requirement levels. This study suggests that it is necessary to develop enrichment techniques to produce rotifers with sufficient amounts of all micronutrients. Such techniques will also be important tools for determining which nutrients are present at levels below the actual requirements in cod larvae. more...

A simple and sensitive spectrophotometric method has been developed for the determination of the antihypertensive drug captopril and anticancer drug 6-mercaptopurine, in their trithiocarbonate (TTC) form by using Pd(II) chloride as a coloring reagent. Captopril TTC forms a stable dark yellow colored complex with λ max 383 nm, molar absorption coefficient 1.35 x 10 5 I/mole/cm and a Beer's law range from 0.084-1.26 ppm. 6-Mercaptopurine TTC forms a stable deep yellow colored complex with λ max 345 nm, molar absorption coefficient 6.9 x 10 5 I/mole/cm and a Beer's law range from 0.0319 ppm to 3.519 ppm. The M: L ratio of palladium: TTC complexes were confirmed by Job's method of continuous variance and mole ratio method and was found to be 1:1 for both captopril TTC as well as 6-mercaptopurine TTC. In addition, on the basis of, FTIR, 1 H NMR, ESR and thermal analysis data a plausible structure of mononuclear Pd(II) complex of Captopril TTC and 6-mercaptopurine TTC has been reported. more...

Excellent station keeping characteristics and relative insensitivity with increasing water depth make triangular tension leg platforms (TLPs) a proven concept in deep water oil exploration. TLPs are often subjected to less probable forces which arise due to collision of ships, icebergs or any other huge sea creature. Dynamic analysis of two triangular TLP models at water depths 1200 and 527.8 m is performed under regular waves along with impulse load acting at an angle of 45 degrees at the TLP column. Hydrodynamic forces on these TLPs are evaluated using modified Morison equation, based on water particle kinematics arrived at using Stokes’ fifth order wave theory. Based on numerical studies conducted, it is seen that impulse loading acting on corner column of TLP significantly affect its response while that acting on pontoons dose not affect TLPs behaviour. more...

Mass culture of Ceriodaphnia cornuta was done by using a mixture of organic manures: cattle manure:poultry droppings:mustard oil cake (1:1:1) at four different doses: 0.263 kg/m3 (first dose), 0.526 kg/m3 (second dose), 1.052 kg/m3 (third dose) and 2.104 kg/m3 (fourth dose). The peak of C. cornuta was found on 10th day of inoculum in first two doses and on 14th and 18th day in third and fourth doses, respectively. Among these four doses, significantly (P0.01) higher numbers of organisms (1930/l) were found in the fourth dose followed by third (1470/l), second (1017/l) and first (733/l) doses, respectively. The number of organisms decreased faster in two lower doses than higher doses. pH ranged from 7.20 to 8.09, 7.46 to 8.01, 7.55 to 7.89 and 7.61 to 8.03 in first, second, third and fourth doses, respectively. Dissolved oxygen showed inverse relationship with the dose of manures applied and direct relationship with number of organisms. This study showed that 3.28-4.63 mg/l dissolved oxygen was optimum to obtain the bloom of C. cornuta under the present manure schedule. Maximum number of organism was found when unionized ammonia and phosphate levels ranged between 0.65-0.85 mg/l and 0.42-0.98 mg/l, respectively. The fourth dose of organic manure is optimum for the culture of C. cornuta in outdoor condition and the bloom of the live food can be obtained within 18 days of inoculum. more...

Rotifers are a commonly used live feed in fish larvae cultures. Two experiments were conducted on the rotifer Brachionus plicatilis to investigate the protein and amino acid composition. Based on the idea that soluble protein is more digestible to fish larvae, special emphasis was put on the rotifer soluble protein fraction. In experiment 1, the nitrogen to protein factor and the amino acid composition of the rotifer crude fraction and the rotifer water soluble fraction were determined in rotifers fed with yeast, oil and live algae Chlorella (65:25:15 dry weight). The rotifer soluble protein constituted 50.6% of crude protein. The nitrogen to protein factor was different in the crude fraction and in the soluble fraction, 4.46 and 3.52, respectively. The amino acid compositions of the crude and soluble fractions, however, were almost equal, despite of small but statistical significant differences in some amino acids. In experiment 2, rotifers were grown in five different diet systems: baker's yeast with cod liver oil (3.3:1 dry weight/volume, DYO), baker's yeast with Algamac 2000™ (3.5:1 dry weight, DYA), baker's yeast with live algae Chlorella (4.1:1 dry weight, DYC), Culture Selco 3000™ (DCS); baker's yeast with cod liver oil (10:1, weight/volume) with vitamin supplement and live algae Isochrysis , DCNT. On dry weight basis, total protein content was significantly ( P more...

Quantification of proteases activities and their class structure have been studied in a cladoceran, Daphnia carinata . Protease activity ranged from 0.28 to 0.55 Unit mg −1 protein min −1 with an average value of 0.42±0.06 Unit mg −1 protein min −1 . Chymotrypsin activity was more than twofold higher (0.49±0.09 Unit mg −1 protein min −1 ) than the trypsin activity (0.21±0.02 Unit mg −1 protein min −1 ). Protease activity and reduction of activity in bands of samples treated with specific inhibitors were documented in photometric assay and substrate SDS–PAGE. Proteinase activity against azocasein was inhibited (91.4±1.5%) with SBTI. PMSF reduced the enzyme activity by 53.1±6.5%, and the azocasein hydrolysis was reduced up to 64.6±3.8% by the specific inhibitor of trypsin, TLCK. In the present investigation, the molecular weight of various activity bands ranged from 16.3 to 51.1 kDa. The molecular weights of several protein bands are similar to protease activity zones. The knowledge of digestive enzyme profiles of fish food organisms generated in the present study may assist in the formulation of age-specific feed. more...

Marine organisms are constituted of compounds with several properties and characteristics. In the last decade lot of biomaterials like various types of polymers and bioactive ingredients have been identified, isolated, and characterized. These biomaterials have a vast range of applications in the medical sector including controlled drug delivery, tissue engineering, and diagnostic device etc. In this chapter, biomaterials have been defined and classified in general, followed by an account of mainly various polymers like collagen, chitin, chitosan, chondroitin sulfate, hyaluronic acid, alginate, biosilica, calcium carbonate and phosphate. Their structure, source, and application in the medical field have been discussed. A brief account of bioactive compounds as therapeutic agents has also been given. Marine biomaterials are also emerging as promising materials for the development of biosensors for medical diagnostics. This chapter also discusses biosensors and the role of biomaterials from marine origin in the development of biosensors for medical diagnostics. The chapter concludes with the scopes of the biomaterials in near future. more...

A geographical indication (GI) is a sign used on products that have a specific geographical origin and possess qualities or a reputation that are due to that origin. In order to function as a GI, a sign must identify a product as originating in a given place. In addition, the qualities, characteristics or reputation of the product should be essentially due to the place of origin. Since the qualities depend on the geographical place of production, there is a clear link between the product and its original place of production’. A geographical indication right enables those who have the right to use the indication to prevent its use by a third party whose product does not conform to the applicable standards. For example, in the jurisdictions in which the Darjeeling geographical indication is protected, producers of Darjeeling tea can exclude use of the term “Darjeeling” for tea not grown in their tea gardens or not produced according to the standards set out in the code of practice for the geographical indication.However, a protected geographical indication does not enable the holder to prevent someone from making a product using the same techniques as those set out in the standards for that indication. more...

In a post disaster situation, movement of rescue teams should be modelled effectively to ensure proper communication and co-ordination amongst different teams. For this it is necessary that movement is modelled effectively. In this paper we propose an emergency scenario movement modelling by managing the co-ordination task by a four way directional movement. The communication between the stages is considered to be provided by a MANET based network setup, since they are easy to deploy and do not require elaborate infrastructure. Mobility of MANET nodes between the stages has been modeled with random waypoint mobility model (RWM). Performance of the scenario is analyzed for three routing protocols viz. LAR [1], DYMO [2] and AODV [3]. Packet delivery ratio, end to end delay, normalized routing load and data packets forwarded is estimated for these protocols. From the results it is observed that for such situations, performance of geographic routing protocols is better than other reactive protocols. more...

The Ultimate power of Judiciary to review and determine validity of a law or an order may be described as the power of "Judicial Review." In India we are following the rule of Law it means that the constitution is the Supreme law of the land and any law in consistent there with is void. The term refers to "the power of a court to inquire whether a law executive order or other official action conflicts with the written constitution and if the court concludes that it does, to declare it unconstitutional and void."It is the power exerted by the courts of a country to examine the actions of the legislatures, executive and administrative arms of government and to ensure that such actions conform to the provisions of the nation’s Constitution. Judicial Review Refers the Power of Judiciary to interpret Constitution and to declare any such Law or order of legislature or executive void. If it finds them conflict the constitution of India. Judicial review has two important functions, like, of legitimizing government action and; the protection of constitution against any undue encroachment by the government. more...

Dual-band L-shaped substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) Slot antenna is proposed in this paper. The proposed L-shaped structure is constructed using two different slots oriented along longitudinal and transversal direction to feed. The longitudinal slot produces single band measured response with frequency range of 13.16 GHz to 13.38 GHz with 13.28 GHz as the center frequency. Along with, the transversal slot produces single band measured response with frequency range of 10.18 GHz to 10.34 GHz with 10.25 GHz as the central frequency. These two different slots are combined into a single L-shaped slot, which produces dual band measured response with frequency range of 10.84 GHz to 11.01 GHz and 12.60 GHz to 12.78 GHz. The center frequencies are 10.93 GHz and 12.69 GHz. The gain of the designed antenna is 6.58 dB and 6.82 dB at 10.93 GHz and 12.69 GHz, respectively. The analysis is carried out using the HFSS software, and the simulated results are verified using the measurements. more...

Drought is a major abiotic stress affecting wheat production worldwide. Present study was conducted to identify drought tolerant wheat lines. In this study, field screening was done in multi-environment for four years followed by validation at molecular level for identifying stable drought tolerant wheat genotypes. In field screening, based on eleven quantitative traits including drought susceptibility index (DSI) under irrigated and non-irrigated conditions in two successive years, 44 wheat genotypes were selected from an initial set of 177 genotypes. These selected lines were further screened for two more years against drought stress. Stability analysis and AMMI biplot was also performed to analyze the stable performance of genotypes across the environments and years. The studied genotypes were also evaluated for the presence of six drought-linked molecular markers. Based on drought susceptibility index, other physiological parameters and molecular analysis, the genotypes namely, ET127225, ET127230, EC531185, ET127236, ET127267 and ET127269 were found to be potential genetic resources for drought tolerance, which can be further used in wheat improvement programme. more...

Field experiments were conducted for evaluating recombinant inbred lines (RILs) of wheat cross of C518 and PBW343 under rainfed conditions by using plant water related traits viz; canopy temperature and stomatal density during rabi seasons 2012-13 and 2013-14. Both parents belonging to distinct adaptation group, offer several morpho-physiological contrasting traits. Canopy temperature (CT) and stomatal density (SD) were recorded under irrigated and rainfed conditions. Analysis of variance showed that CT and SD differed significantly under both conditions, indicating the existence of sufficient genetic variability among the populations. Frequency distribution for canopy temperature at anthesis among RIL population showed transgressive segregation under irrigated and rainfed conditions. Skewness (0.22) and kurtosis (0.27) was higher under rainfed conditions. Stomatal density does not vary greatly under water-deficit conditions. However, reduction in stomatal density was found under water stress conditions and recorded minimum stomatal density suggesting less transpiration rate under drought conditions resulting in minimize of loss of water. Under irrigated environment, canopy temperature at anthesis (CTA) showed non-signification correlation with stomatal density. While, under rainfed condition, canopy temperature among RILs showed significant negative correlation with stomatal density and yield attribute characters. This indicated that the selection for traits viz, canopy temperature and stomatal density may be effective measure of drought tolerance of wheat cultivars and yield improvement under drought stress conditions. more...

Present retrospective study was carried out at the mortuary of J.L.N. Medical College, Ajmer from January 2015 to 31st December 2015. A total of 953 dead bodies were received for post-mortem examination during the study period. Out of them 49 cases were of Hanging The incidence rate of hanging is 5.14% (49 out of 953) in the present study with a male: female ratio of 3.9: 1 and 21–30 years age group being most commonly (46.93%) involved population. All 49 cases under the study were suicidal in nature no cases were of Homicidal Hanging. Personal reasons (22(44.89%)) and family problems (10(20.40%)%) were encountered to be the common reasons for committing suicide. Soft material 79.59%) was more commonly used as ligature than the hard one (20.40%). In these cases 47(95.91) were recovered completely hanging from a higher point (complete hanging), whereas only 2(4.08%) were recovered in kneeling down position or with toes or feet touching the ground (partial hanging); In 41 (83.67%) cases the lividity was noticed on back side.14(28.57%) victims (27.5%) presented with ecchymosis along the edges of the ligature mark because of violent movements at the terminal event. Discharge of semen was seen in08 (16.32%) cases whereas discharge of urine/faeces was noticed in 07 (14.28%) cases. La facie sympathetic and defence wounds were noticed in none of the cases under the study. On internal examination all 49 cases (100%) presented with white-glistening subcutaneous tissue and neck muscle no contusion was detected. In present study rupture of the strap muscles, fracture of thyroid cartilage or hyoid bone or tear in the intima of the carotid artery was not detected. The dribbling of saliva is considered as surest sign of ante-mortem hanging was noticed in only 36(73.46%)cases. more...

The industrial sector accounts for about 30% of the global final energy use and accounts for about 115 EJ of final energy use in 2005. 1Cement, iron and steel, chemicals, pulp and paper and aluminum are key energy intensive materials that account for more than half the global industrial use. There is a shift in the primary materials production with developing countries accounting for the majority of the production capacity. China and India have high growth rates in the production of energy intensive materials like cement, fertilizers and steel (12–20%/yr). In different economies materials demand is seen to grow initially with income and then stabilize. For instance in industrialized countries consumption of steel seems to saturate at about 500 kg/capita and 400–500 kg/capita for cement. The aggregate energy intensities in the industrial sectors in different countries have shown steady declines – due to an improvement in energy efficiency and a change in the structure of the industrial output. As an example for the EU-27 the final energy use by industry has remained almost constant (13.4 EJ) at 1990 levels. Structural changes in the economies explain 30% of the reduction in energy intensity with the remaining due to energy efficiency improvements. In different industrial sectors adopting the best achievable technology can result in a saving of 10–30% below the current average. An analysis of cost cutting measures for motors and steam systems in 2005 indicates energy savings potentials of 2.2 EJ for motors and 3.3 EJ for steam. The payback period for these measures range from less than 9 months to 4 years. A systematic analysis of materials and energy flows indicates significant potential for process integration, heat pumps and cogeneration for example savings of 30% are seen in kraft, sulfite, dairy, chocolate, ammonia, and vinyl chloride. An exergy analysis (second law of thermodynamics) reveals that the overall global industry efficiency is only 30%. It is clear that there are major energy efficiency improvements possible through research and development (R&D) in next generation processes. A comparison of energy management policies in different countries and a summary of country experiences, program impacts for Brazil, China, India, South Africa shows the features of successful policies. Energy management International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standards are likely to be effective in facilitating industrial end use efficiency. The effective use of demand side management can be facilitated by combination of mandated measures and market strategies. A frozen efficiency scenario is constructed for industry in 2030. This implies a demand of final energy of 225 EJ in 2030. This involves an increase of the industrial energy output (in terms of Manufacturing Value Added (MVA)) by 95% over its 2005 value. Due to normal efficiency improvements the Business as Usual scenario results in a final energy demand of 175 EJ. The savings possibilities in motors and steam systems, process improvements, pinch, heat pumping and cogeneration have been computed for the existing industrial stock and for the new industries. An energy efficient scenario for 2030 has been constructed with a 95% increase in the industrial output with only a 17% increase in the final energy demand (total final energy demand for industry (135 EJ)). The total direct and indirect carbon dioxide emissions from the industry sector in 2005 is about 9.9 GtCO 2 . Assuming a constant carbon intensity of energy use, the business as usual scenario results in carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions increasing to 17.8 GtCO 2 annually in 2030. In the energy efficient scenario this reduces to 11.6 GtCO 2 . Renewables account for 9% of the final energy of industry (10 EJ in 2005). If an aggressive renewables strategy resulting in an increase in renewable energy supply to 23% in 2030 is targeted (23 EJ), it is possible to have a scenario of constant greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by the industrial sector (at 2005 levels) with a 95% increase in the industrial output. Several interventions will be required to achieve the energy efficient or constant GHG emission scenario. For the existing industry measures include developing capacity for systems assessment for motors, steam systems and pinch analysis, sharing and documentation of best practices, benchmarks and roadmaps for different industry segments, access to low interest finance etc. A new energy management standard has been developed by ISO for energy management in companies. Its adoption will enable industries to systematically monitor and track energy efficiency improvements. In order to level the playing field for energy efficiency a paradigm shift is required with the focus on energy services not on energy supply per se. This requires a re-orientation of energy supply, distribution companies and energy equipment manufacturing companies. Planning for next generation processes and systems needs the development of long term research agenda and strategic collaborations between industry, academic and research institutions and governments. more...

Introduction: Oropharyngeal candidiasis (OPC) is the most common opportunistic fungal infection reported in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) positive patients worldwide. This prospective study was undertaken to investigate OPC and Candida colonization (CC) and their correlation with CD4+ cell counts and antiretroviral therapy (ART) in HIV-positive patients. Methodology: In total, 190 HIV-positive patients were enrolled for study in three groups as follows: Group A, 90 patients without ART; Group B, 100 patients undergoing treatment with ART; and Group C, 75 HIV-negative control patients. All HIV patients underwent clinical examination and were subjected to CD4+ cell counts. Swabs were collected from the oral cavity of all individuals and plated on Sabouraud’s dextrose agar. Identification of Candida species was performed by conventional methods. Results: Candida species were isolated in 84/190 (44.2%) and 20/75 (26.6%) of the HIV-positive subjects and controls respectively (p 500 cell/mm3 (5/63; 7.9% versus 0/21 0%) respectively. Conclusion: OPC and Candida colonization occur more frequently in HIV-positive patients with CD4+ cell counts ≤200 cell/mm3. ART significantly reduces OPC. C. albicans is the most frequently isolated species in both OPC and colonization, suggesting endogenous infection. more...

Efficient routing protocols can provide significant benefits to MANETs for both performance & reliability. Many routing protocols [1] for such networks have been reported. Amongst the most popular ones are Dynamic Source Routing (DSR), Ad-Hoc on demand distance vector (AODV) & Temporary ordered routing algorithm (TORA). In this paper we compare MANET Protocols DSDV & AODV individually using Network Simulator NS2. The performance matrix includes Delay and Throughput. We are comparing the performance of routing protocols on changing the parameters packet size, time interval between packet sending. more...

Band-to-band Tunneling Field Effect Transistors (TFETs) are emerging as a solution to break classical 60mV/dec sub-threshold slope limit of conventional MOSFETs. In this work, we present for the first time multi-scale simulation results of partially unzipped Carbon Nanotube heterojunction TFET. Compared to the CNT and GNR homojunction TFETs, GNR/CNT heterojunction TFETs demonstrate superior sub-threshold region characteristics - 104x smaller I off , 61% smaller Subthreshold Swing (SS) which lies in the range of 22∼26mV/dec and the I–V ambipolarity is completely eliminated. more...

Evaluation of RIL Population Derived from Traditional and Modern Cultivar of Wheat (C 518/2* PBW 343) for Yield Potential under Drought Stress Conditions Present study was carried out to assess the yield potential of C518 and their potential utility in context of drought tolerance when introgressed in to a modern day wheat variety (PBW 343). These two cultivars (PBW 343 and C 518) belongs to distinct adaptation groups, offer several morpho-physiological and biochemical contrasts. C518 is tall and adapted to low input rainfed conditions whereas PBW 343 is semi-dwarf and input responsive. 175 recombinant inbred lines (C 518/2* PBW 343) along with parents and checks were evaluated for drought tolerance in account of yield potential under irrigated and rainfed environments during 2013 to 2014. Water stress was created by withholding irrigation. Different drought tolerance indices viz., stress susceptibility index, relative drought index, mean productivity, stress tolerance index, geometric mean productivity, yield stability index, drought resistance index were evaluated based on grain yield under irrigated and rainfed conditions. Out of 175 inbred lines, seven lines recorded higher grain yield under irrigated as well as rainfed environments. STI, DRI and MP showed highly significant positive correlation with yield in both stress and nonstress environments and with other drought tolerance indices. Thus application of these indices could be appropriate while screening the varieties for drought tolerance and on the basis of theses indices, the inbred lines 108, 84, 80 and 32 were found tolerance lines with high yield under both environments better than the parents... more...

The authors have studied the interaction of HBr/Cl2/O2 inductively coupled plasmas with reactor chamber wall deposits, with and without Si etching, using the “spinning wall” technique. The spinning wall is part of the reactor chamber walls, allowing near-real-time analysis of the composition of surface layers via Auger electron spectrometry and determination of species desorbing off the walls by mass spectrometry. In HBr plasmas with no bias voltage on the Si substrate, and hence no Si etching, HBr is ∼30% dissociated, and H2 and Br2 form in the plasma. Layers deposited on the reactor chamber contained little if any Br under these conditions. Adding O2 to an HBr plasma leads to formation of H2O and increased Br2 (compared to a pure HBr plasma) products that desorb from the spinning wall. H2O has a very long residence time on the surface. With bias voltage applied to the Si substrate in an HBr plasma, mass spectrometer signals are prominent for SiBr and SiBr3, and weaker for SiBr2, SiBr4, Si2Br4, Si2Br5, and Si2OBr5. Under these conditions, a SiOxBry layer deposits on the spinning wall. Adding 20% O2 to HBr stops etching and eliminates Br from the surface layer, indicating that Br on the reactor walls is a result of SiBrx impingement and not from bromination by impinging Br. With HBr/Cl2 plasmas and no bias on the stage, a SiOxCly layer deposits, and no Br is detected. HCl, BrCl, and Br2 were detected in the line-of-sight leak, around the spinning wall, of a HBr/Cl2 (1:1) gas mixture in the absence of a plasma. Residence time analysis of species in the chamber and a change in the product distribution with a change in the composition of the layer deposited on the chamber wall suggest that reactions forming these products in the absence of a plasma occur on the reactor walls. With a plasma and bias on the Si substrate, both Br and Cl incorporate in the layer, and a rich spectrum with numerous SiClxBry peaks was observed up to at least 500 amu. The spectrum does not change with the addition of 6% O2. Adding 20% O2 suppresses Br adsorption, but Cl still adsorbs. In 40% O2/HBr/Cl2 plasmas with stage bias, Cl adsorption also ceases and no etching products are observed in the mass spectrum. more...

Photosynthetic rate and leaf area index are the most important traits for determining the yield of soybean. LAI, photosynthetic rate and growth efficiency during the different growth and developmental stages of soybean were strongly influenced by variable photoperiods. The objective was to investigate the alteration of source-sink of different maturity group soybean genotypes under variable photoperiods (longer and shorter) and to examine the dynamics of LAI, photosynthetic rate and growth efficiency (CGR and RGR) at the different growth and develop-ment stages. Fifteen soybean genotypes of three maturity groups were grown under variable pho-toperiods at Punjab Agricultural University, Lu-dhiana, India in a Randomized Block Design along with three replications. LAI and photosyn-thetic rate were recorded at vegetative, flowering and pod initiation stages of each photoperiod. Growth efficiency was measured at two intervals i.e. 30–45 DAS and 45–60 DAS. Significant varia-tions were found for LAI, photosynthetic rate, growth efficiency, duration from R1 to R8 period and yield contributing traits within each maturity groups. Late maturity group genotypes had higher LAI, Photosynthetic rate, CGR, RGR and yield attributes traits than medium and early ones under both the photoperiodic conditions. A strong positive relation was found for LAI, photo-synthetic rate and crop growth rate with grain yield per plant in late maturity group genotypes. The confirmation obtained in the present studies further proved that photoperiods influence the whole life cycle of soybean crop. more...

A field experiment was conducted during 2009-10 to 2010-11 at Central Potato Research Station, Shillong to evaluate the effect of varieties and protective spraying of fungicide on productivity of potato in north eastern hill region of India. Kufri Megha recorded highest marketable (20.3 t/ha) and total tuber yield (22.5 t/ha); net returns (Rs.367.3x103) and B:C ratio (4.6) as compared to other varieties. Spraying of fungicides recorded significantly higher plant stand (11.5%), marketable yield (23.9%) and total tuber yield (14.9%), consequently the maximum net profit (Rs.301.1x103) and B:C ratio (3.5) over non sprayed crop. Highest improvement in potato yield was observed due to the spraying of fungicides on Kufri Giriraj (33.1%) followed by Kufri Jyoti (22.0%) over the non spray. However, very narrow enhancement in productivity of potato were found with same level of spray of fungicides on Kufri Megha (4.5%) and Kufri Girdhari (5.3%) over the non sprayed. Hence, cultivation of Kufri Megha along with spraying of fungicide is crucial to enhance the profitability of farming community for north eastern hill region. more...

As the tolerances in gate dimensions in integrated circuit manufacturing become ever more stringent, plasma process conditions must be very tightly controlled. The reactor chamber wall contamination is one of the major causes of process drifts and is therefore of prime importance. Here, the authors report a study of the role of Ti contamination on an oxidized silicon surface in affecting the heterogeneous recombination coefficient of O in an O2 inductively coupled plasma reactor. Recombination coefficients were measured, using the spinning wall method, with in-situ Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) for surface analysis during plasma operation. The O-atom recombination coefficient on a Ti-free surface was found to be 0.034. After using an evaporation source to deposit a small amount of Ti on the spinning wall (17% of the atomic composition obtained from AES), the O recombination coefficient decreased to 0.022. A possible mechanism is proposed in which Ti reacts with ≡Si-O• sites that are active in recombining O, forming ≡Ti-O• sites that are less efficient for O recombination. more...

Replication of viral genomes is one of the most important steps in the infection process, as viruses need to replicate inside the host cell in order to make many copies. Therefore, traditionally, this has been an important stage for drug targeting in antiviral therapies. For their replication, viral genes can encode polymerase enzymes like reverse transcriptase (RT) in retroviruses, and RNA dependent RNA polymerase in RNA viruses. These polymerases have been important drug targets against several viruses (Walker & Hong (2002), Sarafianos et al. (2009)). However, a major challenge has been the emergence of resistance owing to mutations in the genes coding for these enzymes, thereby rendering these drugs useless. Unravelling the mechanisms of inhibition and resistance is an important area of research that contributes to both basic understanding of the processes and clinical applications. In this work, we have attempted to study the structural basis of the mechanisms of inhibition and resistance in reverse t... more...

Chlorine atom recombination coefficients were measured on silicon oxy-chloride surfaces deposited in a chlorine inductively coupled plasma (ICP) with varying oxygen concentrations, using the spinning wall technique. A small cylinder embedded in the walls of the plasma reactor chamber was rapidly rotated, repetitively exposing its surface to the plasma chamber and a differentially pumped analysis chamber housing a quadruple mass spectrometer for line-of-sight desorbing species detection, or an Auger electron spectrometer for in situ surface analysis. The spinning wall frequency was varied from 800 to 30 000 rpm resulting in a detection time, t (the time a point on the surface takes to rotate from plasma chamber to the position facing the mass or Auger spectrometer), of ∼1–40 ms. Desorbing Cl2, due to Langmuir–Hinshelwood (LH) Cl atom recombination on the reactor wall surfaces, was detected by the mass spectrometer and also by a pressure rise in one of the differentially pumped chambers. LH Cl recombination... more...

The interplay between chlorine inductively coupled plasmas (ICP) and reactor walls coated with silicon etching products has been studied in situ by Auger electron spectroscopy and line-of-sight mass spectrometry using the spinning wall method. A bare silicon wafer mounted on a radio frequency powered electrode (−108 V dc self-bias) was etched in a 13.56 MHz, 400 W ICP. Etching products, along with some oxygen due to erosion of the discharge tube, deposit a Si-oxychloride layer on the plasma reactor walls, including the rotating substrate surface. Without Si-substrate bias, the layer that was previously deposited on the walls with Si-substrate bias reacts with Cl-atoms in the chlorine plasma, forming products that desorb, fragment in the plasma, stick on the spinning wall and sometimes react, and then desorb and are detected by the mass spectrometer. In addition to mass-to-charge (m/e) signals at 63, 98, 133, and 168, corresponding to SiClx (x = 1 – 4), many Si-oxychloride fragments with m/e = 107, 177, 19... more...

Titrimetric determination of thioureas, thiols, xanthates and dithiocarbamates with N-iodosuccinimide (NIS) is described. The method for xanthate can be applied to carbon disulphide (converted into xanthate with potassium ethoxide). Acidic and non-aqueous solutions of the oxidizing agent are stable. The procedures are rapid and accurate to 0.1% with a precision of 0.2%. Hydrogen sulphide and thiocarbonyl compounds interfere. The behaviour of N-bromosuccinimide and NIS with thiols in aqueous medium is compared. It is shown that iodine is the oxidizing species in both cases. The limitations of iodine as a reagent for thiol determination are discussed. Cysteine, which cannot be determined with iodine, can be determined with NIS. The role of methanol in non-aqueous determination of thiols is discussed. Methanol accelerates the oxidation, which is otherwise slow in acetonitrile medium. more...

Some Mannich bases of isatin-3-(4′-phenyl-3′-thiosemicarbazone) have been prepared by employing formaldehyde and different secondary amines. These Mannich bases have been characterized on the basis of different physico-chemical evidences. These behave as Lewis-bases and have been estimated accordingly in non-aqueous media. Like some alkaloids they also form the reineckate complexes which serve for their estimation. Antibacterial activity of the synthesized Mannich bases has been studied by employingEscherichia coli andStaphylococcus aureus as bacterial strains. more...