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Abstract Purpose Biomethane is an environment-friendly, economic, and alternative energy resource for a clean and green future. In the present study, we have evaluated the biomethanation potential of acetate-utilizing methanogenic culture (AUMC) and gelatin-enriched mixed culture (GEMC) with Clostridium acetobutylicum NCIM 2841 (GEMC-CA.) on gelatin as a sole carbon and nitrogen source. Methods We conducted experiments for examining the specific-methanogenic activity of these cultures in the metabolic assay media containing 1% gelatin. The produced methane and consumed gelatin were quantified by standard experimental methods. Exchange metabolites produced by these cultures were qualitatively analyzed by mass spectrometry. Results Results of our study show that the growth-associated amino acid catabolism partially or completely supported the methanogenesis of these defined cultures. AUMC and GEMC found to be suitable for enhanced methanogenic activity on gelatin but a rapid degradation of amino acid was attributed by GEMC-CA. The ammonia released from these cultures was directly proportional to gelatin degradation. Mass spectral data analysis identified some key exchange metabolites from acidogenic culture and methanogenic culture for confirming the growth-associated methanogenesis. Conclusion The biomethanation potential of these cultures on gelatin is coupled with the Stickland reactions-directed methanogenesis in a syntrophic manner. The present study provides the importance for the development of a starter culture for the biomethanation of protein-based industrial wastes in effective ways.

Internal herniation of small bowel accounts for about 1% of all the patients with intestinal obstruction. Fifty percent of the patients with paraduodenal hernia will have bowel obstruction. Left paraduodenal hernia resulting from abnormal rotation of the midgut during embryonic development is the most common form of congenital internal hernia. A case of a young male presenting with chronic abdominal pain due to left paraduodenal hernia is being reported. A correct preoperative diagnosis of left paraduodenal hernia was made on computerised tomography (CT), and the patient was managed by laparoscopic surgery. The role of imaging in preoperative diagnosis is being highlighted with a brief review of literature.

The rainfall, one of the most important natural input resource for dryland agricultural production system, is erratic and temporal in nature. An attempt has been made to analyze thirty years (1990-2019) of meteorological data for prediction of probable week of onset and withdrawal of monsoon and to end with crop planning in North Gujarat region (India). The highest and lowest amount of weekly rainfall was observed in 27th and 39th SMW, respectively. The probability distribution functions viz. generalized extreme value, Gumbel maximum, Gamma and Weibull were found best-fit for prediction of weekly rainfall. The analysis revealed 26th SMW (25 Jun - 01 Jul) and onwards as the most suited sowing time of kharif crops. There are also chances of occurrence of moisture stress during 34th and 35th SMW. The results would be useful for agricultural scientists, researchers, decision makers and policy planners in the field of agricultural crop planning and irrigation management for semi arid regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Postpartum fertility in dairy bovines is one of the important criteria of sustainable dairy industry and economy of farmers. The Kankrej, a dual purpose zebu cattle, is known for its endurance, but is slow breeder with very late maturity, prolonged postpartum anestrous/subestrous and thereby calving interval. These peculiarities necessitate scientists to adopt fixed time AI (FTAI) protocols of estrus synchronization for improving their reproductive efficiency. Hence this study was aimed to assess the fertility and plasma metabolic profile of normal and synchronized anestrous/ subestrous suckled Kankrej cows of an organized farm. Methods: The study involved 36 parturient Kankrej cows of the University Farm that were maintained under identical nutritional and managerial practices. Blood samples were collected in heparinized vacutainers from all the animals on the day of calving and then at 10 days interval till 90 days for plasma metabolic profile. Animals monitored by per rectal palpation 10 days apart around day 70-80 postpartum revealed 30 cows to be anestrous or subestrous, which were randomly allocated to five different estrus synchronization protocols at day 90-92, each with six cows and a group of six cows that exhibited estrus and were bred by day 70-90 served as normal control. The treatment protocols included Ovsynch, CIDR, Ovsynch + CIDR, Cosynch and double PGF2α together with estimation of plasma metabolites on day 0, 7, 9/10 (AI) and then at 10 days interval up to day 40 post-AI. Result: The mean plasma total protein levels varied non-significantly, while total cholesterol and triglycerides varied significantly (p<0.01) between intervals until 90 days postpartum in most of the groups with gradual increase in the mean values from the day of calving. The estrus synchronization protocols, however. did not alter the plasma profile of these constituents. The estrus induction response with Ovsynch, CIDR, Ovsynch + CIDR, Cosynch and PGF2α treatment was 66.66, 83.33, 50.00, 66.66 and 66.66% and the conception rates at induced estrus 16.66, 33.33, 16.66, 50.00 and 50.00%, respectively. In normal cyclic control group, the conception rate at first cycle was 33.33%. The plasma total cholesterol and triglycerides were higher in conceived than non-conceived cows, particularly during early postpartum period and post-AI. It was concluded that CIDR, Cosynch and PGF2α protocols were better for estrus induction and conception rate in anestrous and subestrous suckled Kankrej cows, although they did not influence the plasma metabolic profile. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[sup 57]Fe Mo¨ssbauer spectroscopy can be used to determine the distribution of moment directions in magnetic materials. Here, we have applied this technique to a study of Fe[sub 73.5]Cu[sub 1]Nb[sub 3]Si[sub 13.5]B[sub 9] (isocompositional with FINEMET). We are particularly interested in establishing the distribution of moment directions in the nanophase material, obtained by devitrification from an amorphous precursor. The nanophase material consists of Fe–Si grains embedded in an amorphous matrix. Current understanding of the resulting magnetic properties, which involves application of the random anisotropy model to these materials, assumes that the magnetization in the grains is exchange coupled to neighbors, giving a long exchange length compared with the nanometer grain size. We present data for the amorphous precursor, the standard nanophase material, and nanophase material devitrified in an external magnetic field. If σ[sub u] and σ[sub v] represent the Gaussian widths of the out-of-plane and in-plane moment direction distributions respectively, we have found that σ[sub u]=14° and σ[sub v]=68° for the amorphous precursor, σ[sub u]=14° and σ[sub v]=92° for the standard nanophase material, and σ[sub u]=22° and σ[sub v]=79° for a magnetic field aligned specimen. We interpret these data as demonstrating that standard devitrification does result in grains with a wide spread of moment direct ions over the volume sampled by this technique, even allowing for exchange coupling. These results and the implications for macroscopic magnetic properties such as anisotropy will be discussed. © 2000 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]