Two-dimensional Mott-Hubbard electrons in an artificial honeycomb lattice

Artificial crystal lattices can be used to tune repulsive Coulomb interactions between electrons. We trapped electrons, confined as a two-dimensional gas in a gallium arsenide quantum well, in a nanofabricated lattice with honeycomb geometry. We probed the excitation spectrum in a magnetic field, identifying collective modes that emerged from the Coulomb interaction in the artificial lattice, as predicted by the Mott-Hubbard model. These observations allow us to determine the Hubbard gap and suggest the existence of a Coulomb-driven ground state.     

Autoecological Studies on Mottra (Clinogyne dichotomy Salisb)

Clinogyne dichotoma , Salisb, belonging to the family Marantaceae, is a perennial crop with remarkable morphological characteristic. Present study on the anatomical features revealed their adaptability in waterlogged low-lying marshy lands unsuitable for the cultivation of any other crop.     

Identification of Minimum Data Set Under Balanced Fertilization for Sustainable Rice Production and Maintaining Soil Quality in Alluvial Soils of Eastern India

The scarcity of non-renewable fertilizers resources and the consequences of climate change can dramatically influence the food security of future generation. Introduction of high yielding varieties, intensive cropping sequence and increasing demand of food grains day-by-day, application of recommended dose of fertilizers could not fulfill our targets due to outdated fertilizers recommendations are yet in practice. It not only alters soil quality, nutrient balance, microbial and enzymatic ecology but also affected productivity and sustainability of rice in Gangetic alluvial soils of India. The effect of fertilizers application based on “fertilizing the soil versus fertilizing the crop” which insure real balance between the applied and available soil nutrient is urgently needed. Hence, the present study was conducted during three consecutive crop seasons (2010, 2011, and 2012) to assess the effect of imbalance and balance fertilization based on initial soil test values and targeted yields, and to determine the effect of farmyard manure (FYM) when superimposed with balanced fertilizers on identification of minimum data set for the development soil quality, nutrient acquisition, and grain yield of rice. The six fertilizer treatments were laid out in a randomized block design with three replications. The treatments were: T₁-control (no fertilization), T₂-farmyard manure @ 5 t ha^?1, T₃-farmers practice (60:30:30 kg N:P₂O₅:K₂O ha^?1), T₄-precise application of mineral fertilizers based on initial soil test values (77:24:46 kg N:P₂O₅:K₂O ha^?1) for targeted grain yield of 4.0 t ha^?1, T₅-precise application of mineral fertilizers based on initial soil test values (74:23:43 kg N:P₂O₅:K₂O ha^?1) plus FYM (5 t ha^?1) for targeted grain yield of 4.0 t ha^?1 and T₆-precise application of mineral fertilizers based on initial soil test values (135:34:65 kg N:P₂O₅:K₂O ha^?1) for targeted rice grain yield of 5.0 t ha^?1. Result revealed that the targeted rice grain yield of 4.0 and 5.0 t ha^?1 was achieved in T₄ and T₆ treatments with 1.59% (4.06 t ha^?1) and –3.40% (4.83 t ha^?1) deviations, respectively. T₄, T_5, and T₆ significantly increased crop growth, nutrient uptake, available P (P_a) and K (K_a) and augmented rice grain yield by 10.6, 20.2 and 31.6%, respectively, over T₃. Microbial biomass carbon, soil respiration and enzymatic activity were enhanced significantly in T₅ as compared to T₆. Highest soil quality index was found in T₅ (0.95) followed by T₆ (0.90) and, lowest was in T₁ (0.63). The contribution of minimum data set (MDS) toward the SQI was in the descending order of ALP (30.6%) > SOC (21.5%) > K_a (11.3%) > PSM (9.68%) > N_a (8.51%). Overall, rice yield and soil quality was improved by using balance fertilization based on fertilizing the crop Vs fertilizing the soil in alluvial soils of India.     

Status of Lipid Peroxidation,Some Antioxidant Enzymes and Erythrocytic Fragility of Crossbred Cattle Naturally Infected with <Emphasis Type="Italic">Theileria annulata</Emphasis>

Erythrocytic lipid peroxidation, activities of some antioxidant enzymes and osmotic fragility of red blood cells was studied in adult (>1 year) crossbred cattle naturally infected with Theileria annulata. Twenty clinically healthy animals (group I) and 15 clinical cases (group II) of tropical theileriosis were selected. Cattle suffering from theileriosis had significantly higher (p<0.01) erythrocytic lipid peroxidation and osmotic fragility. Activities of antioxidant enzymes, viz. glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) and glutamate peroxidase (GPx) were also significantly increased (p<0.01) in group II. However, superoxide dismutase and catalase did not show significant changes. The results indicated that infection with theileria led to increased oxidative stress to the animals, and even a significant rise in the activities of antioxidant enzymes. G6PD and GPx could not lower this oxidative stress. However, the increase in the activities of antioxidant enzymes pointed towards the body’s defence mechanism against lipid peroxidation during oxidative stress in theileriosis.     

Morphological and DNA Barcoding Evidence for Invasive Pest Thrips,Thrips parvispinus (Thripidae: Thysanoptera), Newly Recorded From India

South East Asia pest thrips species, Thrips parvispinus (Karny), is a serious pest on a number of agricultural and horticultural crops in a number of plant families. Based on an integrated approach of morphology and DNA barcoding, invasion of this serious pest is reported first time from India on papaya plantations. Molecular data have corroborated with the morphological identification. Haplotyping data suggested that the Indonesia may be a probable source of invasion of this pest to India.     

Effect of nitrogen fertilization on methane and carbon dioxide production potential in relation to labile carbon pools in tropical flooded rice soils in eastern India

In an incubation experiment with flooded rice soil fertilized with different N amounts and sampled at different rice stages, the methane (CH₄) and carbon dioxide (CO₂) production in relation to soil labile carbon (C) pools under two temperature (35°C and 45°C) and moisture (aerobic and submerged) regimes were investigated. The field treatments imposed in the wet season included unfertilized control and 40, 80 and 120 kg ha^?1 N fertilization. The production of CH₄ was significantly higher (27%) under submerged compared to aerobic conditions, whereas CO₂ production was significantly increased under aerobic by 21% compared to submerged conditions. The average labile C pools were significantly increased by 21% at the highest dose of N (120 kg ha^?1) compared to control and was found highest at rice panicle initiation stage. But the grain yield had significantly responded only up to 80 kg ha^?1 N, although soil labile C as well as gaseous C emission was noticed to be highest at 120 kg ha^?1 N. Hence, 80 kg N ha^?1 is a better option in the wet season at low land tropical flooded rice in eastern India for sustaining grain yield and minimizing potential emission of CO₂ and CH₄.     

Histopathological changes and tissue residue concentrations of monosex Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus,L) fries exposed to oxytetracycline

Aquaculture International - The current study evaluated the biosafety of oxytetracycline (OTC) exposure for 30&nbsp;days in monosex Oreochromis niloticus fries. The fries were exposed to OTC...     

Pulmonary Edema Due to Oral Gavage in a Toxicological Study Related to Aquaporin-1, -4 and -5 Expression

A one-time oral gavage can be enough to cause of alveologenic edema with higher expression of AQP-1 and -4 than that with repeated-dose oral gavage, which caused both profound perivascular edema and hydrostatic pressure edema, while AQP-5 was similarly expressed. The alteration of AQPs expression was probably related to alveolar fluid clearance across the alveolar and bronchiolar epithelium in different stages of lung injury. The results clarified the type of lung edema in acute and sub-chronic toxicity studies without treatment related effect of tested material. The pathogenesis of pulmonary edema due to oral gavage toxicological study is associated with the cellular immune response to the reflux materials. Mast cell and leukocyte accumulation may contribute to increase vascular permeability leading to permeability edema. The increase in alveolar septum epithelium, perivascular and peribronchial cuffing, accumulation alveolar lipid containing macrophage and medial hyperplasia of the pulmonary artery might have been caused to increase airway resistance, which resulted in hydrostatic pressure edema.     

Characterization,inheritance, and molecular study of opaque leaf mutant in mungbean (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Vigna radiata</Emphasis> (L.) Wilczek)

Chlorophyll-deficiency mutants are useful as genetic markers and as materials for studying the photosynthesis process. We characterized the inheritance of the gene controlling an opaque leaf (OL) trait in mungbean (Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek). An F₂ population was developed from the cross between the OL mutant and ‘Berken’, an Australian mungbean cultivar, to study inheritance and molecular tagging. The population was advanced by selfing to produce F₅ lines from which two normal lines and two OL lines were randomly chosen to study chlorophyll content, seed growth and development, and seed cell morphology. The chlorophyll content in opaque leaf was lower than normal and thus was expected to have lower photosynthetic activity. This resulted in yellowish and shrinking pods and seeds within 15 days after flowering, while those from normal plants extended their growth up to 18 days. The cotyledon transfer cells of the OL plants deformed at 12 days and deteriorated at 14 days after flowering. The OL trait was controlled by a single recessive ol gene which was independent from the genes controlling petiole color and growth habit. We used 193 AFLP primer combinations to tag this gene and found that the marker AGG/ATA was linked with the ol gene at a distance of 3.4 cM.