bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Cadaveric Study on Incidence and Morphology of Psoas Minor Muscle in South Indian Population
Authors: Kokati Drakshayini B , Jayaayaprakash BR , Smitha M , Eligar Rajeshwari
Published: September 2022

Introduction: The muscles of posterior abdominal wall on each side of vertebral column include psoas group, quadratus lumborum and iliacus. The psoas muscle group comprises of major, minor and tertius. The psoas major is present in all individuals. Psoas minor is often absent in 40% of the cases. Psoas minor muscle has racial and morphometric variations. Aim: To find the incidence and morphology of psoas minor in south Indian population and discuss its clinical implications. Materials and Methods: The present observational cadaveric study was done on 30 embalmed cadavers for teaching purpose from November 2017 to December 2020 at Karnataka Institute of Medical Sciences, Hubli, Karnataka, India. Cadavers in the study were of the age group between 50-60 years. Out of 30 cadavers, five were females and 25 were males. In cadavers with presence of psoas minor muscle following parameters were photographed and studied: unilateral or bilateral, origin, insertion, nerve supply, total length of musculotendinous unit, length of muscle belly, length of tendon, width and circumference at its widest point. Vernier calipers, measuring tape, scale and inelastic thread were used to note various parameters and were tabulated. Results: Out of 30 cadavers, psoas minor was present in 10 cadavers (two female and eight male), bilateral in five; unilateral in five. The incidence of presence of psoas minor muscle in the present study is 33.33% (two female 6.67% and eight male 26.67%). Conclusion: The psoas minor muscle being vestigial and inconstant, its morphology is highly variable. But the incidence of psoas minor is quiet significant (33.33%). Hence knowledge of psoas minor is important to anatomists for academic purpose and to clinicians for proper diagnosis and treatment.
Recognising Nail Changes Induced by Chemotherapy with Taxane-based Regimens and their Dermoscopic Confirmation: A Prospective Observational Study from Northern India
Authors: Walia Rupinder , Aggarwal Shivali , Chopra Dimple , Aulakh Shayna , Aggarwal Anushruti , Gupta Sharang , . Preeyati
Published: September 2022

Introduction: Taxanes are chemotherapeutic agents used in a variety of solid tumours. They are known to cause cutaneous as well as nail changes which are temporally associated with intake of drug. Nail involvement is reported in literature from some parts of the world. Aim: To study the pattern of nail changes occurring due to taxane-based chemotherapy regimens in patients suffering from malignancies. Materials and Methods: A prospective observational study was carried out in a tertiary care hospital in GMC, Patiala, Punjab, India from October 2020 to September 2021. A total of 160 adult patients undergoing cancer chemotherapy with taxanes were included in the study. After taking detailed history, nail changes were examined and confirmed by dermoscopy. The data was analysed using Epi Info 7 by CDC and Chi-square test was used to calculate the p-value. Results: A total of 144 patients (87 females and 57 males), with the mean age of 53.8 years, were screened for six chemotherapeutic cycles. Drug-induced Nail Pigmentation (DINP) was the most common nail abnormality seen in 43/144 (30%) patients after third cycle and in 105/144 (73%) patients after the sixth cycle. The most common pattern was diffuse nail pigmentation 40/105 (39%) followed by longitudinal melanonychia 22/105 (21%) after six cycles. Maximum pigmentation 52/60 (86%) was observed in patients who received taxane+adriamycin+ cyclophosphamide combination. On onychoscopy, DINP appeared as thin grey regularly arranged parallel longitudinal lines on homogenous grey background. Conclusion: Taxanes cause varied pattern of nail changes with DINP being the most common. It ranges from longitudinal bands after three cycles to diffuse pigmentation after six cycles. These nail changes show temporal relation with dose, duration, number of drugs, and colour of skin. Dermoscopy is a novel non invasive method with a good diagnostic accuracy.
Passion and Resilience: Experiences of Public Primary School Teachers in Handling Children with Reading Difficulties in Online Teaching
Authors: Presquito Rhey Mark E. , Madrigal Dennis V.
Published: September 2022

Aim: This phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of public primary school teachers in handling children with reading difficulties during online teaching.

Study Design: Descriptive Phenomenology.

Place and Duration of the Study: Bacolod City, Philippines, February to July 2022.

Methods: Participants were identified using a purposive sampling technique. Nine (9) public primary school teachers answered the interview using an unstructured in-depth interview. The data collection was done sequentially. In analyzing the participants' transcripts, thematic analysis using the modified van Kaam approach popularized by Moustakas (1994) was utilized.

Results: Analyses of the data revealed that utilizing innovative practices in the teaching-learning process helped teachers handle children with reading difficulties. Also, the aide of Parent Facilitated Learning as an ally for teaching remediated the exhaustion of teachers' workloads. Furthermore, this qualitative research generated data from the participants with three major themes, and 12 sub-themes emerged: (1) dealing with children's problems in fundamental skills; subthemes (8): poor letter identification, poor phonetic foundation, a poor blending of word pattern, poor word recognition, poor reading comprehension, low academic motivation, low academic performance, attention deficit, (2) dealing with online instructions; subthemes (2): poor internet access and problems with the schedule of classes, and (3) utilizing innovative practices to address problems on reading difficulties of children, sub-themes (2): using word and picture cues and parent-facilitated learning.

Conclusion: Public primary school teachers encountered challenges and struggles handling children with reading difficulties in the new learning platform. These experiences create an opportunity to pursue their passion and commitment to teaching during the COVID-19 Pandemic. This paved the way for passionate and resilient teachers in precarious times.
Determinants of the Penalty Waive by the Defaulters: The Case of Higher Education Loan Board (HESLB) in Tanzania
Authors: Ayoub Sarah , Matiku Emmanuel J.
Published: September 2022

Higher education loan repayment has been one of the major challenges facing Higher Education Loan Board (HESLB). This study therefore, focused on exploring the factors for penalty waive on Higher Education Loan repayment. Also, the Ability to Pay Theory was the main source of inspiration for this paper. The study employed case study research design based on qualitative research approach. The purposive sampling technique was used to select 30 participants from HESLB. The collected data were analyzed by the use of thematic analysis. The study results revealed that the amount that was provided to the loanees was given in big amounts at once but in repayment, the beneficiaries were given some long time to pay in installment. Further, it was found that factors that motivated the establishment of the penalty waive for the default borrowers were complaints of the loan beneficiaries over charges, order from the president, motivation of the loan beneficiaries for voluntary compliance and creation of economic opportunity for the loan beneficiaries. Moreover, it was found that the trend of repayment had changed and increased following the penalty waive as the borrowers were repaying their loans in bulk and in time compared to the time before the penalty waive was in place. It was concluded that the appropriate way to make the loan beneficiaries to repay the loan is not to impose penalties and fines to them but to use the friendly way such as reminding them through phones to repay their loans. It was recommended that HESLB should create positive perception of the borrowers on the affordability of the loans so that they can repay quickly their loans.
Applications of Genetic Distances on Blood-group Gene Frequencies and their Statistical Genetic Similarities
Authors: Henry Onu, Obineke , Happiness Inamete, Emem Ndah , James-Patrick Onyekwuluje, Makuachukwu
Published: September 2022

This paper studied the applications of genetic distances on Blood-group gene frequencies and their Statistical genetic similarities characterizing four populations, for data from Eakimo, Bantu, English and Korea. The study compared the following distances: Euclidean, squared Euclidean, Minkowski, Chebychev and City Block on the above mentioned data for the outlined countries. Correlation analysis was applied to evaluate the relationships between these countries on their blood group gene frequencies. Similarity check was also conducted to know the countries that have similar blood-group gene frequency. It was observed that Euclidean distance and Minkowski distance had equal distances. This means that the two distances are more similar in this particular data set than the other studied distances. The study revealed that Chebychev distance had the smallest neighbor distance as compared to other distances studied while City Block had the highest distance. It has been stated in literature that Chebychev and Minkowski distances are concentric circle shape, this suggests the reason behind their equality of distance. It is therefore proposed that the data may be a concentric circle data.
Estimation of Quality Adjusted Life Years (QALYs) for HIV Patients on Art in Kenya Using Proxy Utility Function
Authors: Chacha Winnie , Akinyi Jane , Mwalili Samuel
Published: September 2022

Aims: This study seeks to estimate QALYs for HIV/AIDS patients on ART in Kenya to quantitatively evaluate the health impact of ART treatment on patients. QALYs values are important as they form a                 basis for evidence based decision making and policy formulation in the country with regards to HIV/               AIDS.

Study Design: The study involved secondary data obtained from a retrospective follow up study on hospital records of HIV/AIDS patients enrolled for ART from 2005 to 2017.

Place and Duration of Study: Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, between January 2019-April 2022.

Methodology: The study involved a retrospective study of 3000 patients on ART in Kenya from the period of 2005-2017. All the patient records are identified using random patient id ensuring the privacy and anonymity of patients. The inclusion criteria is patients who had complete information on the covariates used in the model during follow up. The joint modelling of the longitudinal and survival data of each patient was applied and the results applied to proxy utility function to estimate the QALYs for patients on ART. To get the average QALYs gained by all patients, we aggregate the total QALYs from each patient. R. Software version 4.0.2 was used in the analysis.

Results: Sex, age, Marital Status and weight are significant predictors of survival of HIV Patients on ART in Kenya. Being on ART therapy resulted in a gain of 9.688313 QALYs for HIV/AIDS patients. The association parameter estimate is-0.0345 implying that increase in the values of CD4 count results in a decrease in the hazard of death for HIV patients on ART therapy.

Conclusion: The proxy utility function methodology is appropriate for the calculation of QALYs values for HIV patients on ART. It has the advantage of allowing utilities of each patient to vary and are calculated at every time point. Since ART results in the improvement in QALYs of patients, efforts should be directed towards ensuring patients who are enrolled for the therapy continue with it for sustained health and non health benefits.
Landscape of Zoonoses Clusters in Bangladesh from 2001 to 2016: Impact to National Health
Authors: Ferdous Zannatul , McPherson Rebecca , Mahjabeen Mastura
Published: September 2022

It remains unclear how human diseases are distributed spatially and temporally in Bangladesh. A retrospective epidemiological study was conducted using Bangladesh National Health Surveillance Data from 2000 to 2016, examining the risk factors, transmission mode, and treatment of viral dengue fever (DF), Nipah virus encephalitis (NiVE), rabies, zika, protozoan malaria, and bacterial anthrax in Bangladesh. Morbidity and mortality rates for dengue were 375 to 6132 cases and 0 to 2.5%, respectively, with the major hotspots in urban areas of Dhaka, Khulna, and Chittagong. It was reported that all four causative virus serotypes were present. It was estimated that Nipah morbidity/mortality ranged from 4 to 44 cases and 25 to 92%. The highestburden was to be found in the Northwestern and Central districts, with 31 geographical clusters. Despite being an emerging disease, Zika remains an underreported problem. Dhaka and its surrounding regions saw an increase in rabies cases caused by dog bites. Rabies was associated with a morbidity/mortality rate of 0 to 100,000 cases and 0 to 3.61%, respectively. Mortality and morbidity from anthrax were 0 to 607 cases and 0 to 0.0164%, respectively. The disease was prevalent in Sirajganj and its surrounding areas. Most cases were attributed to butchershandling infected cattle-meat. There were 3864 to 84690 malaria cases, with a mortality rate of 0.03 to 0.54%. 28.6 to 95.2% of the cases were caused by the protozoa P. falcifarum. Malaria is hyper-endemic in the Khagrachari, Bandarban and Rangamati districts. Since the beginning of the 2000s, advanced diagnostic, preventive, and treatment methods have been introduced to combat malaria. In order to control the spread of zoonotic diseases in the future, public health officials must take intensive interactive preventive measures.
Biocontrol of Oreochromis mossambicus Population by Chitala chitala (Hamilton, 1822) in a Composite Carp Culture System of Purulia District in West Bengal, India
Authors: Samaddar Ayan , Ojha Gouranga , Chatterjee Swapnil , Mahato Phatik Chandra
Published: September 2022

Aims: Pond-based carp production in the Purulia district in West Bengal, India is confronted with several challenges. This study aimed to establish an alternative semi-intensive carp production method for the district by addressing an endemic challenge i.e. recruitment of O. mossambicus, through an endangered (EN) and native predatory fish, Chitala chitala.

Study Design: Present study has been conducted on two numbers of perennial water resources with 1 ha effective area; where annual production of Indian Major Carps (IMC) and impact of O. mossambicus and C. chitala on the same culture system have been compared.

Place and Duration of Study: This study was conducted in farm conditions from 2018 to 2020, in two freshwater earthen ponds, Gosai Bundh (N23.47737/E86.79032) and Bara Notun Bundh (N23°46439/E86°65080), at Uluberia village under Kashipur Block of Purulia district in West Bengal, India.

Methodology: Stocking density of Indian Major Carp (IMC) fingerlings was maintained at 8000 numbers (4:3:3 ratio of catla : rohu : mrigala) per ha (T1). After getting contaminated by O. mossambicus, wild C. chitala juveniles have been introduced in the similar facility (T2). Results of T1 and T2 were compared with control pond (C) containing IMC only. Recruitment of O. mossambicus and growth performance of C. chitala and IMCs determined periodically and annually.

Results: Increasing growth of C. chitala showed contrasting impact over O. mossambicus fry recruitment. Survival percentage of C. chitala remains high in T2. While, poorest growth performance of IMCs have been observed in T1. Among IMC’s C. catla showed best survivality in every experimental ponds.

Conclusion: Excessive recruitment of the O. mossambicus population can be controlled by C. chitala in a pond-based IMC culture system.
Growth, Yield and Grain Arsenic Concentration of Rice Cultivars under Varying Levels of Soil Arsenic Contamination
Authors: Islam M. Rafiqul , Borna Samina Nasrin , Menon M. R. K. , Islam Shofiqul
Published: September 2022

Arsenic (As) contamination in groundwater is a severe and widespread problem in Bangladesh and their exposure cause a serious health hazard in human history. A pot experiment was conducted in the net-house of the Department of Soil Science, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh using fourteen cultivars of rice (Summer rice) to evaluate the effects of varying levels of As contamination on growth, yield and grain As contents. Arsenic contamination adversely affected tillering, filled grains, grain yield and straw yield of all rice cultivars, however, the effect varied among the cultivars. In As control treatment, the highest grain yield (75.66 g pot-1) was observed in BR 11 while the lowest grain yield (8.73 g pot-1) was in BRRI dhan4. Application of 20 ppm As to the soil resulted in complete death of BR 11, BRRI dhan30, BRRI dhan33, BRRI dhan34, BRRI dhan41, Binadhan-4, Biroy and Kalizeera cultivars. Arsenic contamination significantly increased As concentration in grain for all cultivars of rice. Arsenic concentration on rice grains grown in soils without As contamination ranged from 0.06 ppm in BR 11 to 0.13 ppm in BRRI dhan32 and BRRI dhan41, while such values ranged from 0.231 ppm in Kalizeera with 10 ppm As to 0.743 ppm in BRRI dhan40 with applied 20 ppm As to soils. Among the 14 rice cultivars BRRI dhan32, BR 11 and Najirshail appeared to be more tolerant to As contamination.
Disruptive Concepts in Modern British Society: Refugee Crisis, Immigration, Race, and Racism
Authors: Guéye Marie
Published: September 2022

Society as described by Benedict Anderson [1] must be settled and organized by taking into account the fears and worries of minorities for, it is imagined because the members of even the smallest nation will never know most of their fellow-members, meet them, or even hear of them, yet in the minds of each lives the image of their communion. The institutionalization of the police and their indifference to atrocities inflicted on Blacks and other minorities had brought about that ‘war’ that should not have taken place if the law-makers or policymakers and politicians had earlier decided to get to the root of the problem. So, why immigration and racism are so problematic and pronounced in a period of globalization where Human Race in general, must be promoted everywhere? At the end of this article, we can state that the notions we are interested in are still disruptive. To the most reluctant with the policy of welcoming refugees they consider as invaders, western values are threatened in the cultural, political and even economic levels. Facts related to those concepts are constantly reported in those western countries. We read into policies on refugee crisis, immigration, race, and racism and then confront them with reality with the implementation and analysis of Stuart Hall’s [2] ‘critical race theory’ and John Solomos’ [3] conciliatory strategy to praise diversity merits. We also tackled the role of central and local authorities in handling these boiling issues. As we mentioned in this paper, policies are not always suitable for the resolution of political and social problems. Actually, authorities and natives will not let their guard down; which means that the threat is real and everywhere.
Breaking the School-to-prison Pipeline: A Critical Review of Factors Responsible for Students’ Truancy
Authors: Ofori Kennedy Nyeseh , Yankyerah Andrew Kwame
Published: September 2022

The main components of a "school-to-prison pipeline" have been identified as academic failures, punitive disciplinary methods, and dropouts. Truancy is a disciplinary problem, which frequently occurs among school students and it has many contributories as well as inter-related factors. It is a growing problem and it often becomes a prelude to other delinquent behaviours. The study objective was to determine the prevalence of truancy as well as factors related to it. Although there is a substantial amount of research on truancy, few studies have sought to explore the multi-faceted factors that amplify or mitigate this canker. This review work is based on 120 research papers from digital resources. Findings from various studies examined, identified the family, school related problems and the student themselves as the major factors contributing to truancy among the students. The findings from the review also indicated that supportive leadership, devoted and supportive staff, school-wide behaviour control, and efficient academic education are school-level features that can assist reduce truancy among students. For schools, parents and districts that want to put strategies in place that may shield students from the dangers of truancy, implications and recommendations are provided.
Non-surgical Treatment of a Non-vital, Immature Permanent Tooth with a Large Periapical Abscess: A Case Report with 8-month Follow-up
Authors: Panwar Mahima , Yadav Madhukar , Gupta Sonal , Ojha Riya , Velaparambil Rushika
Published: September 2022

Aim: The purpose of this case report is to present a non-surgical treatment of a non-vital immature upper central incisor with a large periapical abscess within 8 months of follow-up.

Methods and Materials: A traumatic case was presented in which a paste of calcium hydroxide and iodoform (Metapex®) was placed in the root canal of an immature permanent tooth with a large periapical abscess. Affected teeth were radiographically evaluated periodically over 8 months after paste insertion. At the end of 8 months, this case showed persistent root growth and apexification with no evidence of periapical radiolucency. After that, a normal root canal treatment was performed.

Conclusion: In this clinical case, calcium hydroxide and iodoform paste (Metapex®) was found to induce apical closure radiographically and clinically. At 8 months, the periapical abscess was shown to have healed with continued root growth.
Trend and Time Series Analysis of Vegetation Dynamics Using Satellite Data: A Case Study of Uttarakhand, India
Authors: Verma Govind , Mehta Ashish , Goswami Shikha
Published: September 2022

In this work, aim is to collect time series data for Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) band using google earth engine (GEE) and MOD13A1 V6.1 product for the region of Uttarakhand, Uttarakhand districts and Himachal Pradesh. Thereafter investigation and comprehension of the viability of using MODIS NDVI satellite data time series to identify trends and give a forecast model. Time series data was collected using Google Earth Engine for NDVI indices for the period of the year 2010 to 2022. Trend analysis and time series analysis were performed for collected data. NDVI time series data set is collected using GEE for Uttarakhand state, its districts and Himachal Pradesh State. The Mann- Kendell (MK) method is used to find trend analysis of above regions. NDVI time series data is divided into train and test dataset. Five forecasting models are used to forecast NDVI time series dataset i.e., Long short-term memory (LSTM), Bidirectional Long short-term memory (BiLSTM), Support vector regression (SVR), Autoregressive Integrated Moving (ARIMA), Adaptive Neuro fuzzy interference system (ANFIS) models are trained using train data and are used to generate the predicted value. The predicted value is then compared with test data using various metrics for forecasting NDVI times series. Trend analysis of NDVI shows an increasing trend in NDVI values for Uttarakhand and its districts as well as Himachal Pradesh. ANFIS model resulted R2 value of 0.6702, Stacked LSTM model resulted R2 value of 0.7541, Bidirectional LSTM model resulted with highest R2 value of 0.8365, Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) model resulted with lowest R2 value of 0.153, SVR model resulted with R2 value of 0.6719.
Rainfall Probability Analysis for Crop Planning of Unakoti and West Tripura District of Tripura, India
Authors: Ganchaudhuri Somnath , Sarmah Kushal , Roy Lagnajeet , Goswami Jyotishman
Published: September 2022

Rainfall is one of the most important climatic variables that determine the spatial and temporal patterns of climate variability of a region, which provides useful information for the planning of agricultural production. For the purpose of crop planning, rainfall data of two districts of Tripura viz., Unakoti and West Tripura for aperiod of 20 years (2001-2020) were collected and used to analyze probability of weekly rainfall. The incomplete Gamma distribution probability analysis using the method suggested by Victor (2000) was used to find and analyze weekly rainfall probability for the studied districts. The investigation revealed that total annual rainfall of Unakoti at 90%, 75% and 50% probability is predicted to be 1640 mm, 1686 mm and 1722 mm respectively. The total annual rainfall of the West Tripura at 90%, 75% and 50% probability is likely to be 1631 mm, 1847 mm and 2108.4 mm respectively. Crops found suitable for kharif season are blackgram, greengram, aman rice. The crops which can be grown in rabi season include cole crops, tomato, chilli, potato, pea, toria etc. Based on the study, crops suited to summer season include short duration greengram, aush rice, sesame, jute in all land situations.
Prediction of Soil Properties Using Quantile Regression Forest Machine Learning Algorithm – A Case Study of Salem and Rasipuram Block, Tamil Nadu, India
Authors: Theres B. Linda , Sakthivel R.
Published: September 2022

Digital soil mapping is a growing technology for mapping soil properties instead of conventional soil mapping. Especially for what are all countries have large geographical areas and human, not accessible areas. Compared to conventional soil mapping it is cost-wise less and more accurate. At the world level, globalsoilmap.net has taken the initiative for creating digital soil maps. In India like countries very much needed for digital soil mapping, is essential for agricultural planning, and decision-makers decide on it.  This study predicted the soil properties such as sand, silt, clay, pH, and OC using the Quantile Regression Forest machine learning algorithm also provides uncertainty. The main aim of this study was to predict the soil properties in the top two depth intervals such as surface and subsurface. For achieving this goal, 56 soil samples were collected across the study area, and many environmental covariates were used for that such as DEM derivatives, satellite imagery, and Climatic Data. This study, using 56 soil samples data taken from the traditional soil survey, is a limited number of soil samples this tried to achieve a higher accuracy result using QRF.
Coriander Seed Quality and Vigour Assessment as Affected by Bioregulators and Varied Irrigation Regimes Based on Climatological Approach
Authors: Sharma Ankita , Nair Reena , Ramakrishnan R. Shiv
Published: September 2022

The evaluation of seed quality parameters in coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.) under different irrigation regimes based on climatological approach and varied compositions of stress mitigating chemicals was carried out in the Laboratory of Seed Technology Research Unit, Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, College of Agriculture, JNKVV Jabalpur (M.P.). The investigation consisted of four Irrigation regimes ie IW/CPE 0.6, 0.8, 1.0 and 1.2 and stress mitigating chemicals (Salicylic acid, thiourea and KNO3) with different concentrations. The experiment was laid out in Completely Randomized Design with three replicates during Rabi season (2020-21 and 2021-22). Marked influence of applied irrigation regime was exhibited by the seed lot collected from plots with IW/CPE ratio 0.8. The maximum standard germination of 82.89% was recorded in seeds from the plants which were grown in sufficient moisture content comprising of IW/CPE 1.2. Exogenous application of salicylic acid improved the seed germination parameters. The highest concentration was most effective in each treatment. Salicylic acid @ 150 ppm expressed better results. The results depicted higher test weight with 17.80g, higher plumule length of 15.75cm, radical length of 5.61 cm, seedling height of 21.36 cm, maximum magnitude 1841.64 and 28.33 of seed vigour index I & II respectively for Jawahar Dhaniya-10 was registered when the seeds harvested from plots with treatment combination of IW/CPE 0.8 along with foliar spray of salicylic acid @ 150ppm (I2C2). Higher content of 89.57% total solids was expressed under interaction of IW/CPE 0.6 with exogenous application of thiourea @ 500ppm (I1C3). Hence it can be concluded that treatment combination of IW/CPE 0.8 along with foliar spray of salicylic acid @ 150ppm (I2C2) ascertained better seed germination and quality attributes.
Zinc Nutrition in Banana (cv. Grand Naine) at Early Growth Stage
Authors: Gonmei Gaidinglungliu , Deb Prahlad , Kumar Pravin , Sinha Dhananjay , Halder Agniva
Published: September 2022

Aims: Banana is one of the most important and globally popular table purpose fruit. This plant requires good nutrition management with respect to macro and all micronutrients combining both the organic and inorganic sources. Out of different micronutrients, zinc plays a vital role in normal growth of banana plants starting from young stage. With the view, the present experiment was carried out to study the effect of zinc nutrition on early growth of banana plants (cv. Grand Naine).

Study Design: The experiment was laid out in Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with seven treatments and three replications.

Place and Duration of Study: Present study has been carried out at Horticultural Farm, Department of Horticulture and Postharvest Technology, Institute of Agricuture, Visva-Bharati, Sriniketan, West Bengal in the year 2022.

Methodology: In the present experiment, treatments comprised of different levels of zinc nutrition using zinc sulphate ZnSO4 (@ 0.25% and 0.5%) which were applied on different days (15, 30, and 45 DAP). The experiment was laid out in Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with three replications and seven treatments (ZnSO4 @ 0.25% applied at 15 and 30 DAP, ZnSO4 @ 0.5% applied at 15 and 30 DAP, ZnSO4 @ 0.25% applied at 30 and 45 DAP, ZnSO4 @ 0.5% applied at 30 and 45 DAP, ZnSO4 @ 0.25% applied at 15 and 45 DAP, ZnSO4 @ 0.5% applied at 15 and 45 DAP and control or no zinc sulphate application). The neutralization of zinc sulphate solution was done by adding required amount of lime.

Results: It was observed that the foliar application of zinc significantly influenced plant growth. Foliar application of ZnSO4 @ 0.25% at 15 and 45 DAP recorded maximum in plant height (54.23 cm), pseudostem girth (26.82 mm), number of leaves (9.86), leaf length (36.73 cm), lamina length (29.85 cm), petiole length (5.18 cm) and leaf breadth (15.77). On the other hand, foliar application of ZnSO4 @ 0.5% at 15 and 30 DAP increased the root length (42.33 cm), shoot fresh weight (177.64 g), shoot dry weight (56.39 g), and fresh root weight (26.15 g) and dry root weight (2.85 g). The maximum number of roots (25.46) was recorded on the foliar application of ZnSO4 @ 0.5% applied at 30 and 45 DAP.

Conclusion: Application of zinc on banana plants shows better growth than the control and the application of ZnSO4 @ 0.5%applied at 15 and 30 DAP was observed with both moderate shoot and root growth.
Genetic-morphological Characterization and Diversity Analysis of Linseed (Linum usitattissimum L.) Germplasm
Authors: Sathish Konreddy , Parte Deepika , Rohit M. V. S. K , Roy Sujit , Sahu Jyoti , Mehta Nandan
Published: September 2022

Aims: To study morphological and genetic diversity among 100 Linseed (Linseed usitassimum L.) germplasm accessions.

Study Design: Augmented RBD Design in five blocks with four checks.

Place and Duration of Study: College of Agriculture, IGKV, Raipur, Chhattisgarh. During rabi 2020-2021 and rabi 2021-2022.

Methodology: A total of 100 linseed germplasm accessions and four standard checks were studied by examining 10 quantitative traits which contribute to yield and its attributing traits. And observations recorded.

Results: Outcome of the study revealed that analysis of variance for 10 quantitative characters showed differences for various characters. Results from genetic variability analysis state that the highest GCV/PCV was recorded for the traits 50% flowering, secondary branches plant-1, no. of capsules plant-1, and seed yield plant-1. Highest heritability was observed for all the traits under study. Highest heritability coupled with the highest genetic advance as percent was reported for 50% flowering, followed by secondary branches plant-1, no. of capsules plant-1, 1000 seed weight (g), and seed yield plant-1. Seven accessions such as LCK-9406, NL-126, Sumerpur Local, SJKO-8, L-103, EC-397752, R.S.-6 were recorded as having the highest oil content (%) greater than >42%. The highest seed yield plant-1 along with the highest oil content (%) was recorded in four accessions such as Sumerpur Local, EC-397752, LCK-9406, SJKO-8.

Conclusion:  The linseed accessions used in the current study showed significant variability for most of the characters. Observed accessions having the highest seed yield (g) and oil content (%) can be further utilized in the breeding programs based on breeder requirement.
Effect of Drip Fertigation Levels on Soil Fertility and Productivity of Cauliflower cv. Pusa Snowball K-1
Authors: Verma Anjali , Tripathi D. , Spehia R. S. , Mogta Ankush , Sharma Uday
Published: September 2022

The field experiment were conducted during 2013-14 and 2014-15 to study the effect of drip fertigation on nutrient availability, plant parameters and yield of cauliflower. The field experiments were laid out in randomized block design with four replications and six fertigation levels (60, 70, 80, 90, 100 and 110 per cent of recommended dose). Recommended doses of N, P and K are 125, 108 and 76kg/ha, respectively for cauliflower in Himachal Pradesh. Fertigation with recommended dose of fertilizer resulted in highest available N (365.3 kg ha-1), P (95.8 kg ha-1) and K (477.8 kg ha-1). Drip fertigation with recommended dose also increased the available Zn, Cu, Fe and Mn content by 8, 29, 21 and 40 per cent, respectively over 60% recommended dose (i.e N- 75, 65 and 46 kg/ha) treatment. The productivity of cauliflower was maximum with the application of 100 percent nutrients through drip irrigation and recorded an increase of 17.9 percent curd yield over 60 percent RD treatment. The study suggests that application of recommended dose of fertilizer through drip irrigation in 10 splits leads to higher and sustainable cauliflower production.
Evaluation and Economics of Selected Insecticides and Bio-pesticides against Fruit Infestation of Helicoverpa armigera (Hubner) on Tomato
Authors: Kumar Kodi Rakesh , Tayde Anoorag R.
Published: September 2022

The field trial was conducted in Central Research Farm (CRF) at SHUATS, Prayagraj, during Kharif-2021-22. The experiment was laid out in RBD (Randomized Block Design) and replicated thrice with seven treatments. Viz., T1 Indoxacarb 14.5%EC, T2 Flubendiamide 39.5%SC, T3 Emamectin benzoate 5%SG, T4 Bacillus thuringiensis 5% WP, T5 Spinosad 45% SC, T6 Neem oil 4%, T7 Chlorantraniliprole 18.5%SC, (T8) untreated Control was tested to compare the percent fruit infestation against Helicoverpa armigera and their influences on yield of Tomato. The lowest fruit infestation and best economical treatment were recorded in Spinosad 45 SC followed by Indoxacarb 14.5% SC, Chlorantraniliprole 18.5% SC, Emamectin benzoate 5% SG, Flubendiamide 39.5% SC, Bacillus thuringenesis 5% WP Neem oil 4% and as compared to control T8. The highest yield was obtained in Spinosad 45SC (260q/ha) followed by Indoxacarb 14.5%SC (245q/ha), Chlorantraniliprole 18.5% SC (225q/ha), Emamectin benzoate 5%SG (200q/ha) Flubendiamide 39.5% SC (185q/ha), Bacillus thuringenesis 5% WP (163q/ha) Neem oil 4% (149q/ha) and as compared to control T8 (80q/ha). After calculating the benefit-cost ratio of different treatments highest B: C ratio of different treatments was observed for Spinosad 45SC (1:8.8) followed by Indoxacarb 14.5% SC (1:8.3), Chlorantraniliprole18.5% SC (1:7.6), Neem oil (1:7.2), Emamectin benzoate 5% SG (1:6.8), Flubendiamide 39.5% SC (1:6.3), Bacillus thuringenesis (1:5.6), as compared to control T8 (1:2.8) having the lowest B: C ratio.
Effect of Zinc and Bio-fertilizers on Growth and Yield of Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)
Authors: Sai Gudela Devan , Debbarma Victor
Published: September 2022

A field experiment was conducted during Rabi season of 2021-22 at the experimental field of the Crop Research Farm, Department of Agronomy, Naini Agricultural Institute, Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology And Sciences, Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, India. The Experiment was laid out in Randomized Block Design with Nine treatments replicated thrice. To study the Response of Zinc and Bio-fertilizers on growth and yield of Wheat. The treatments consist of zinc 5, 7.5, 10kg/ha and bio-fertilizers Azotobacter (20 g/kg seeds), Azospirillum (20 g/kg seeds), Azotobacter (10 g/kg seeds) + Azospirillum (10 g/kg seeds). The soil of experimental plot was sandy loamy in texture, nearly neutral in soil reaction (pH 7.8), low in organic carbon (0.35%). The results revealed that treatment-9 with application of [Zinc (10 kg/ha) + Azotobacter (10 g/kg seeds) + Azospirillum (10 g/kg seeds)] was recorded significantly higher plant height (96.10 cm), higher plant dry weight (20.31 g/plant), higher number of spikes/m2 (371.84), higher number of grains/spike (55.17), higher grain yield (5.697 t/ha), higher straw yield (12.59 t/ha) and highest harvest index (31.14 %). Higher gross returns (INR 152544.4/ha), higher net returns (INR 108712.4/ha) and higher B:C ratio (2.48) were also recorded in treatment-9 [Zinc (10 kg/ha) + Azotobacter (10 g/kg seeds) + Azospirillum (10 g/kg seeds)].
Isolation, Physicochemical and BET Analysis of Cellulose from Pentaclethra macrophylla Benth (Oil Bean) Pod Biomass Wastes
Authors: Nsude Okechukwu Paul , Orie Kingsley John , Udeozo Prisca Ifeoma , Ogbobe Okoro , Chime Charles C.
Published: September 2022

Biomass systems are based on a wide range of feedstock, like food and agricultural waste. The quest for bio-adsorbents that are environmentally benign is the rationale for this study. Thus, the research is aimed at the isolation, physicochemical, and BET analysis of cellulose obtained from Pentaclethra macrophylla Benth Pod (PMBP) biomass waste. The powdered PMBP was dewaxed with toluene and ethanol (2:1) and, thereafter, treated with aqueous sodium hypochlorite (7.5% at 70oC) and sodium hydroxide (17.5%w/v at 80oC) to obtain isolated cellulose. Proximate, ultimate, and chemical composition analysis reveals the presence of cellulose (42.7%), hemicelluloses (7.8%), lignin (38.5%), silicon (40.72%), aluminium (17.10%) and elements. The FTIR and Raman spectroscopic analysis revealed some of the functional groups associated with isolated cellulose and raw PMBP. The presence of hemicelluloses and lignin in the isolated cellulose implies that the isolation process did not remove all the impurities. The BET analysis reveals a better specific surface area, pore volume, and average pore diameter or size of the isolated cellulose, and could serve as a better adsorbent than the raw. As a result of the increased surface area and high percentage of isolated cellulose in PMBP, it can be used as a sustainable energy source as well as for the environmental remediation of heavy metals.
Numerical Solution of Landau-Lifshitz Equation in the Theory of Magnetic Elastic
Authors: Takyar Seyede Somaye Taghavi , Takyar Seyed Behnam Taghavi
Published: September 2022

In this paper we study Landau-Lifshitz equation which describe a nonlinear magnetic elastic in easy-axis ferromagnets. By means of numerical simulation a numerical solitonic solution to above mentioned equation with Standard Finite Difference (SFD) and NonStandard Finite Difference(NSFD) rules and obtained as a result of solution of Couchy problem using exact analytical solution to Landau-Lifshitz equation as initial data. Then we obtain the error of each method.
Entrepreneurship and SMEs: A Bibliometric Analysis Amidst COVID-19 Crisis
Authors: Kassab Ehab Aktham , Nordin Norshahrizan , Amlus Mohammad Harith , Ahmad Badlishah
Published: September 2022

Purpose: The remarkable concept of entrepreneurship has attracted scholars’ attention for its relevance to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Entrepreneurship and SMEs (E&SMEs) have been globally acknowledged as instruments for achieving economic growth and development as well as employment creation. Based on bibliometric and distance-based visualization of similarities (VOS) analysis, the purpose of this paper is to outline a broad-spectrum perspective of the structure of research in entrepreneurship and SMEs, identifying the most prominent journals, country contributions, top-cited authors and articles in this field, as well, reporting the standard bibliometric indicators such as the growth of publications, authorship patterns, collaboration, and prolific authors.

Design/Methodology/Approach: The paper uses the data from Scopus online database as of June 2022. Based on ‘key-terms’ search results, 287 valid documents were obtained for further analysis using VOS viewer software and Harzing’s Publish or Perish for citation metrics and analysis.

Findings: Sustainability (Switzerland) Journal and Journal of Entrepreneurship in Emerging Economies are the most relevant journals in the field. Among many authors, concerning the frequency of citations, Fairlie’s (2020) article emerges as the most cited article with 85 cites and an average of 42.5 citations per year, followed by Brown and Rocha’s (2020) article emerges 80 cites and an average of 40 citations per year. The United States ranked as the most contributor country in productivity with 29 (10.10%) published documents.

Originality/Value: This paper contributes to entrepreneurship and SMEs amidst COVID-19 crisis research by providing a global perspective on the concept’s investigation using bibliometric data and graphical networks.
Validation of Global Solar Radiation Models on a Horizontal Surface in the Climatic Zones of Burkina
Authors: Gilbert Nana Goumwêndkouni , Amadou Konfé , Souleymane Ouédraogo , Maurice Ky Thierry Sikoudouin , Sié Kam , Dieudonné Bathiébo M. J.
Published: September 2022

The evaluation of the solar deposit is essential for the sizing of photovoltaic systems. This requires the availability of radiation data. In Burkina Faso, weather data doesn’t cover all the country. That makes that solar radiation measured are not available for the all country. Theorical methods can help about it. This paper is written to fill the gap of adapted solar models for the country. In this work, an analysis of the results provided by four models for the estimation of hourly values ​​of global radiation on a horizontal plane was made. The radiation data for the year 2017 comes from the Burkina weather forecast. The validation of the models is carried out by a comparison between the radiation measured and that given by the various models provided by MATLAB code. The different models have been validated by several statistical indicators (RMSE and normalized MAE) and graphs for a clear sky. Scoring criteria have been established to assess the relative quality of each model. The models retained for the study are the Bird and Hulstrom model, the Davy and Hay model, the Capderou model and the Liu and Jordan model. Three sites were affected: Ouagadougou, Dori and Gaoua. We found that for some models, there is a good agreement between the measured values ​​and those estimated by some models for the Dori site, while they are not with the values ​​measured for the Ouagadougou and Gaoua sites. In the town of Dori, the most appropriate model for estimating solar radiation is that of Bird and Hulstrom. For the cities of Ouagadougou and Gaoua, the different models are not suitable.
Recent Progress of Polarization‐Sensitive Perovskite Photodetectors
Authors: Hou Hong‐Yi , Tian Shuo , Ge Heng‐Ru , Chen Jing‐De , Li Yan‐Qing , Tang Jian‐Xin
Published: September 2022

Polarization‐sensitive photodetectors are gaining numerous attention since polarization detection is important in geological remote sensing, atmospheric monitoring, military recon, and medical examination. Among various reported photoactive materials for photodetectors, metal halide perovskites have outstanding advantages such as tunable band gaps, excellent optoelectronic properties, and easy fabrication. Moreover, the characteristics of crystal structure anisotropy and controllable growth orientation of perovskite crystals endow the perovskite photodetector with the ability to identify light polarization states. This review outlines the recent research progress of perovskite photodetectors on polarization‐sensitive detection. Firstly, key device parameters of polarization‐sensitive detection are introduced. Then, the recent progress of polarization‐sensitive perovskite detectors in the field of linear and circular polarization is reviewed according to the different principles of polarization response. Finally, the challenges of polarization‐sensitive perovskite photodetector are discussed.
Targeted Delivery of PD‐L1‐Derived Phosphorylation‐Mimicking Peptides by Engineered Biomimetic Nanovesicles to Enhance Osteosarcoma Treatment
Authors: Wu Wei , Guo Haoyu , Jing Doudou , Zhang Zhenhao , Zhang Zhicai , Pu Feifei , Yang Wenbo , Jin Xin , Huang Xin , Shao Zengwu
Published: September 2022

Osteosarcoma is a rare malignant bone‐originating tumor that usually occurs in young people. Programmed cell death 1 ligand 1 (PD‐L1), an immune checkpoint protein, is highly expressed in osteosarcoma tissues. Several recent studies have indicated that the tumor‐related role of PD‐L1 in tumors, especially non‐plasma membrane (NPM)‐localized PD‐L1, is not limited to immune regulation in osteosarcoma. Here, mass spectrometry analysis is combined with RNA‐seq examination to identify the intracellular binding partners of PD‐L1 and elucidate the underlying mechanism of its action. It is found that the NPM‐localized PD‐L1 interacted with Insulin‐like growth factor binding protein‐3 (IGFBP3) to promote osteosarcoma tumor growth by activating mTOR signaling. This interaction is enforced after phosphoglyceratekinase1 (PGK1)‐mediated PD‐L1 phosphorylation. Based on these findings, a phosphorylation‐mimicking peptide is designed from PD‐L1 and it is encapsulated with a Cyclic RGD (cRGD)‐modified red blood cell membrane (RBCM) vesicle (Peptide@cRGD‐M). The Peptide@cRGD‐M precisely delivers the PD‐L1‐derived phosphorylation‐mimicking peptide into osteosarcoma lesions and significantly promotes its therapeutic effect on the tumor. Therefore, this investigation not only highlights the function of NPM‐localized PD‐L1, but also uses an engineering approach to synthesize a small molecular peptide capable of inhibiting osteosarcoma growth.