Search

Thin films of FePtCo ternary alloy with 100 nm thickness have been deposited on an Si substrate using a DC magnetron sputtering system by co-sputtering of Co metal target and Fe40Pt60 alloy target in three different conditions, i.e. as-deposited at room temperature, annealed at 400 °C ${}_{}^ \circ C$ ∘ C , and deposited on the seed- layer. The effects of target sputtering power, leading to different compositions and various deposition conditions on surface roughness of films and magnetic properties, were studied. The average surface roughness of the as-deposited films decreases with the increase in the sputtering power of the Co target. For the annealed and seed-layered films, an increase in Co sputtering power resulted in an increased in roughness. Moreover, the annealed films possess smallerlower roughness due to an increase in the surface mobility. On the other hand, the Cu seed- layer decreases the roughness by preventing the diffusion of the film into the substrate. The room -temperature M-H measurement shows that the films exhibit soft ferromagnetism with coercivity in the order of ${10^3}$ 10 3 A/m and large saturation magnetizationmagnetisation of the order ${10^6}$ 10 6 A/m. The saturation magnetizationmagnetisation decreases with the increase in the sputtering power and is not influenced by the film surface roughness. On the other hand, riseincrease in surface roughness leads to decrease in coercivity of the films. HIGHLIGHTS: Thin films of FePtCo ternary alloy have been deposited by co-sputtering of Co metal target and Fe40Pt60 alloy target. The effects of surface roughness of films on magnetic properties were studied. The room-temperature M-H measurement shows that the films exhibit soft ferromagnetism. The saturation magnetisation decreases with sputtering power and is not influenced by the film surface roughness. On the other hand, increase in surface roughness leads to decrease in coercivity of the films. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The structure and magnetic property of as prepared and post-annealed thin films of CoTbNi ternary alloy have been investigated. (Co0.85Tb0.15)1-xNix alloy thin films with x = (0.54, 0.63, 0.72, 0.81) were grown on Si-substrate by co-sputtering of Ni element and Co0.85Tb0.15 alloy using dc magnetron sputtering. These films have been crystallized in amorphous form, as confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurement. The magnetization versus field measurements shows that these films exhibit room temperature ferromagnetism. The magnetic properties of these alloy films have a strong dependency on the Ni concentrations. It is observed that the saturation magnetization and coercivity of these alloy thin films decreases with increase of Ni content of the films. One of the striking features was the observation of perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) for x = 0.63 and 0.72 thin films. However, the observed PMA disappears upon post-annealing of the films. The M-T measurement shows that the ferromagnetic transition temperatures of these materials are much higher than the room temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the study on the effect of equilibration period on post thaw viability and membrane integrity of semen of Hampshire (HS) and crossbred (CB) boar, frozen with conventional freezing method. The study found significant higher overall mean motility and live sperm count of spermatozoa after equilibration and after thawing compared to three and five hours (h) of equilibration. It showed higher acrosomal integrity in semen samples of HS than CB boars equilibrated for five h.

As an alternative to broiler chicken, rearing rabbits for meat and fur skins is gaining momentum now a days because of the fact that the meat from rabbit is low in cholesterol and the most delicious. Rabbits were reared as laboratory animals till 1970. Commercial aspects of rabbit rearing started after the import of exotic rabbits during 1970s by CSWRI, Indian Council of Agricultural Research for the first time in our country. Rabbits are the only 'Micro livestock' suitable for rearing by small farmers and landless agricultural laborers with simple housing in their backyards and can be fed with forages, agricultural by-products and kitchen wastes. In fact backyard rabbitries are best suited for our country to increase the per capita income and per capita animal protein availability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Meghalaya is very rich in animal fauna having a substantial number of livestock that includes cattle, buffalo, sheep, goat, pig and poultry. Along with crop production, farmers depend on livestock for their livelihood. The tribal populations of the state are non-vegetarian. Meat from pig, cattle, goat, sheep and poultry birds is mostly being consumed and there is no taboo for consumption of meat. In spite of having huge livestock and fish biodiversity, the region is not self sufficient in terms of livestock production. Meghalaya is highly deficient in all the livestock products like milk, meat, egg, etc. This may be attributed to the low productivity of the livestock and also due to the fact that the farmers have not taken up large-scale livestock farming as entrepreneur. There is a huge gap between demand and production of livestock particularly cattle, pig and poultry in the region. It is being imported worth thousand millions of rupees from neighboring states like Assam, Bihar, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh to meet out the demand of meat and meat products. It is, therefore the need of the hour to understand the strength of faunal biodiversity of the region, the factors which are harmful for the biodiversity and measures to be taken to conserve it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a case of segmental aplasia of the uterine horn resulting in unilateral hydrometra in a two-year-old Hampshire crossbred gilt. The gilt exhibited regular estrous cycle and normal estrous behavior but failed to conceive even after repeated inseminations as well as natural mating with proven boar. The gilt was slaughtered and its whole genitalia was examined in the laboratory. Researchers found segmental aplasia of left uterine horn and forming distended blunt sac.

The article discusses a study aimed at investigating and standardizing freezing protocol for boar semen using the low cost conventional method. Seventy two sperm rich fractions of boar semen were gathered two times a week by gloved had technique using dummy sow in a sterilized plastic bottle. It suggests that semen of Hampshire and crossbred boars can be successfully frozen with optimum post-thaw motility and viability of spermatozoa with freezing done in 0.5 ml French medium straw.

The article discusses a study which assessed the efficacy of commercial milk replacer on the growth performance of calves. The comparative economics of feeding milk replacer and whole milk in crossbred dairy calves is examined. A milk replacer is considered a good option to reduce the cost of calf rearing on whole milk.

The article presents a study on the mortality pattern of various genetic groups of pigs under various seasons of the year in the northeastern part of India. The researchers gathered mortality data from 1993 to 2003, after which the mortality percentages in different seasons were calculated and statistically analyzed. They found that post-monsoon and winter were the most critical periods for survivability. They also mentioned that the season-wise mortality pattern was post-monsoon, winter, monsoon and followed by pre-monsoon.

The article presents information on a report which looks at chromosomal aberrations in yak hybrids. The researchers collected blood samples from 32 F1 male hybrids and 26 F2 female hybrids taken from various yak pockets of Arunachal Pradesh in India. Also, they analyzed at least 25 metaphase plates from each animal. A photograph that shows chromosomal patterns in yaks is provided.

Actinomycosis is a chronic suppurative bacterial infection commonly seen in the tropics, caused by gram-positive, anaerobic bacilli of the genus Actinomyces . There are very few reported cases of primary cutaneous actinomycosis. It can mimic mycetoma, tuberculosis, nocardiosis, and botryomycosis. A high index of clinical suspicion is required for diagnosis in the absence of sinuses. Even with repeated attempts, cultures are mostly negative; and hence, histology reveals the diagnosis in most cases. Here, we report an unusual case of primary cutaneous actinomycosis in a 21-year-old female patient, following a road traffic accident (RTA). A positive Splendore-Hoeppli phenomenon and special stains demonstrated the ray fungus and helped us reach the diagnosis. The patient was started on oral penicillin G and showed good response., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2023 Indian Dermatology Online Journal.)

Tuberculosis (TB) patients show dysregulated immunity, iron metabolism, and anemia. In this study, circulatory cytokines, trace metals, and iron-related proteins (hepcidin, ferroportin, transferrin, Dmt1, Nramp1, ferritin, ceruloplasmin, hemojuvelin, aconitase, and transferrin receptor) were monitored in case (active tuberculosis patients: ATB) and control (non-tuberculosis: NTB and healthy) study populations ( n = 72, male: 100%, mean age, 42.94 years; range, 17-83 years). Using serum elemental and cytokine levels, a partial least square discriminate analysis model (PLS-DA) was built, which clustered ATB patients away from NTB and healthy controls. Based on the PLS-DA variable importance in projection (VIP) score and analysis of variance (ANOVA), 13 variables were selected as important biosignatures [IL-18, IL-10, IL-13, IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-5, IL-12 (p70), IL-1β, copper, zinc, selenium, iron, and aluminum]. Interestingly, low iron and selenium levels and high copper and aluminum levels were observed in ATB subjects. Low circulatory levels of transferrin, ferroportin, and hemojuvelin with higher ferritin and ceruloplasmin levels observed in ATB subjects demonstrate an altered iron metabolism, which partially resolved upon 6 months of anti-TB therapy. The identified biosignature in TB patients demonstrated perturbed iron homeostasis with anemia of inflammation, which could be useful targets for the development of host-directed adjunct therapeutics., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Kaushik, Sahu, Guha, Saha, Das, Kupa, Kapfo, Deka, Basumatary, Thong, Dasgupta, Goswami, Pandey, Saikia, Khamo, Das and Nanda.)

Methylene blue is a dye that is extensively used in the textile industry but it is a hazardous, carcinogenic, and mutagenic pollutant. Therefore, the treatment of wastewater containing methylene blue by photocatalytic degradation under visible light without using any sacrificial agent (H 2 O 2 ) is an important method towards attaining an eco-friendly environment. Herein, the nanocomposite of Ag-doped TiO 2 on WO 3 nanoparticles (Ag@TiO 2 /WO 3 ) was prepared by a modified sol-gel precipitation route, and their physicochemical properties were studied. The bandgap of Ag sensitized metal oxide nanocomposite in Ag@TiO 2 /WO 3 was slightly reduced compared to the pristine titania due to the creation of interstitial energy states during colligation of titania and tungsten oxide. The ease of charge carrier transfers through the heterojunction of TiO 2 /WO 3 increased the photocatalytic activity of the photocatalyst. Furthermore, in Ag@TiO 2 /WO 3 the plasmonic Ag sensitization to the host semiconductor TiO 2 has further boosted the rate of photocatalytic degradation because of the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and hindrance of charge carrier recombination. Due to the synergistic effect of SPR and the presence of heterojunction in Ag@TiO 2 /WO 3 , the photocatalytic activity was found to be 25 times higher for Ag@TiO 2 /WO 3 than that of commercial DP25 photocatalyst under visible light towards methylene blue degradation., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: Detailed understanding of host pathogen interaction in tuberculosis is an important avenue for identifying novel therapeutic targets. Small extracellular vesicles (EVs) like exosomes that are rich in proteins, nucleic acids and lipids, act as messengers and may show altered composition in disease conditions., Experimental Design: In this case control study, small EVs are isolated from serum of 58 subjects (all male, 33 (15-70) in years) including drug naïve active tuberculosis (ATB: n = 22), non-tuberculosis (NTB: n = 18), and healthy subjects (n = 18). Serum small EVs proteome analysis is carried out using isobaric tag for relative and absolute quantification (iTRAQ) experiments and an independent sample (n = 36) is used for validation., Results: A set of 132 and 68 proteins are identified in iTRAQ-I (ATB/Healthy) and iTRAQ-II (ATB/NTB) experiments, respectively. Four proteins (KYAT3, SERPINA1, HP, and APOC3) show deregulation (log 2 -fold change > ±0.48, p < 0.05) in ATB with respect to healthy controls and Western blot data corroborated mass spectrometry findings., Conclusions and Clinical Relevance: These important proteins, involved in neutrophil degranulation, plasma heme scavenging, kynurenine, and lipid metabolism, show deregulation in ATB patients. Identification of such a protein panel in circulating small EVs besides providing novel insights into their role in tuberculosis may prove to be useful targets to develop host-directed therapeutic intervention., (© 2019 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Hemolytic anemia and rhabdomyolysis have been often reported to be an adverse effect of drug- and chemical-induced toxicity both in experimental and real-life scenario. para-Phenylenediamine (PPD) is a derivative of para-nitroaniline and has been found as an ingredient of almost all hair dye formulations in varying concentrations from 2% to 4% w/v. Earlier studies have reported that the accidental oral ingestion of PPD in humans can lead to acute renal failure because of rhabdomyolysis. In the present investigation, we have tested the chronic topical application of PPD and its effect on the renal histology of Sprague-Dawley rats. The experiment provides clear evidence that topically applied PPD induces hemolytic anemia as evident from the decrease in the total RBC count, packed cell volume, and hemoglobin content apart from rhabdomyolysis which subsequently causes acute renal failure in rats.

The present study reports the age related changes in the peripheral testosterone levels, testicular and epididymal growth and development and cauda epididymal spermiogram in local pigs of Northeastern India, which attain sexual maturity around 3 months of age. Local boars (n = 20) were castrated at monthly intervals from 2 to 6 months of age (4 boars per month) to study the testicular growth and development and the epididymal spermiogram. Blood samples, collected from local boars (n = 6) at monthly intervals from 2 to 6 months of age, were analyzed for testosterone levels by radioimmunoassay. Compared to Hampshire boars, significantly (P < 0.05) high testosterone levels were observed in the local boars as early as 2 months of age. The mean (± SEM) level of testosterone in the local boars at 2, 3 and 4 months of age was 11.89 ± 1.52, 20.45 ± 1.33 and 20.38 ± 2.0 ngml(-1), respectively. Though there was consistently significant (P < 0.05) difference in the body weight between Hampshire and local pigs, the same was not observed in case of testicular weight except at 3 and 6 months of age. In line with the above observation, the testis:body weight ratio (gram testis per kg body weight) was significantly (P < 0.05) higher in the local boars compared to the Hampshire boars at any time of observation, which ranged from 0.8 to 1.0 in case of Hampshire and from 2.3 to 3.0 in local boars. The sperm concentration in the cauda epididymal fluid of local boars at 2, 3 and 6 months of age was 2255 ± 186.6, 3685 ± 103.8 and 4325 ± 146.2 million/ml, respectively and the sperm motility, viability and total abnormality was 73.3, 75.2 and 6.2%, respectively at 3 months of age. Taken together, the testosterone level, testicular growth and development and epididymal spermiogram indicate the trait of early sexual maturity in the local pigs as compared to Hampshire., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

In the present study, PCR based method for meat species identification of chicken, duck, pigeon and pig was achieved by developing species-specific markers. Using mitochondrial sequences species-specific primers were designed and the sizes of them were 256bp, 292bp, 401bp and 835bp for chicken, duck, pigeon and pig, respectively. The species-specific PCR products were sequenced to confirm the specificity of the product amplified. These markers were subsequently tested for cross amplification by checking them with beef, mutton, chevon, pork, rabbit, chicken, duck, turkey and pigeon meat. DNA markers developed in this study can help identify the species of fresh, cooked and autoclaved meat of chicken, duck and pigeon and fresh and cooked meat of pig. The process of identification is simple, economical and quick as compared to other methods such as RAPD, PCR-RFLP and sequencing method of species identification.

The histopathological patterns were studied in 44 biopsies from 31 cases of secondary syphilis. The classical picture of syphilis was observed in majority of the cases, but it was lacking or inconspicuous in 22.72% cases. Granulomatous reaction was observed in 15.9% cases during early stage of the disease. Epidermal changes like hyporkeratosis, parakeratosis, exocytosis, spongiosis and acanthosis were frequently seen. Keratotic plugging was observed in 11.36%, hypergranulosis in 2.27% cases and basal cell degeneration in 33.63% cases.