Real-time adaptive irrigation scheduling under a limited water supply

The problem of real-time irrigation scheduling under limited water supply is considered. The goal is to develop an irrigation operation policy which maximizes crop yields and is responsive to current season changes in weather and other variables. Because irrigation decisions are sequential and dependent on crop and soil water status, and also because crop yields can only be known at the end of the season, the decisions are arrived at by a two-stage process. In the first or the design stage, irrigations are planned for the entire season at weekly intervals using historical data and an optimal irrigation scheduling model. In the second stage, the decisions for the subsequent weeks are revised each week after updating the status of the system with real time data up to that week and solving the irrigation optimization model once again for the new conditions. Thus, each week an irrigation decision is made, the entire planning horizon is kept in view. The procedure is illustrated by application to a case study.     

Clinical exercise testing in the normal Thoroughbred racehorse

To evaluate normal cardiorespiratory and metabolic responses of Thoroughbred horses to a standardised treadmill exercise test, we examined 28 horses ranging in age from 1 to 4 years. The group consisted of eight yearlings, eight 2-year-olds and twelve 3 and 4-year-olds. All horses except the yearlings were in training, and either racing or ready to race, at the time of examination. None of the horses had histories of performance problems. On the first day the horses received a full physical examination, resting electrocardiogram, upper respiratory tract endoscopy and either one or two acclimatisation runs on the treadmill. The following day they were given an exercise test on a treadmill inclined at 6 degrees (+10% slope). The test consisted of 3 min at 4 m/sec, 90 sec at 6 m/sec and 60 sec intervals at 8, 10, 11, 12 and 13 m/sec. During the last 15 sec of each step, blood samples were collected for plasma lactate determination, expired respiratory gases were obtained using an open flow mask system for measurement of oxygen uptake, and heart rate was measured using telemetry electrocardiogram. From these measurements, various derived values were calculated, which have been used by others as indices of exercise capacity. These values included: V200 (speed at HR of 200 bpm), VHRmax (speed at which horses reached maximum HR), VO2-200 (oxygen uptake at a HR of 200 bpm), VO2max (maximum oxygen uptake), VLA4 (speed at which horses reached a plasma lactate of 4 mmol/l) and HRLA4 (HR at which horses reached a plasma lactate of 4 mmol/l). The yearlings had significantly lower values than the older age groups for most of the derived values.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Comparative Morphological Studies of Microspore Derived and F2 Plants Obtained from an Interspecific Rice Hybrid Oryza sativa Linn. ×O. rufipogon Griff.)*

Anther culture of an interspecific rice hybrid from a cross of Oryza sativa× O. rufipogon was attempted. Of the 117 regenerated pollen clones, 56 could survive to maturity. A majority of these were either haploids or doubled haploids and very few turned out to be chromosomal variants. Comparative study of doubled haploids and the seed derived F₂ plants indicate the distinct advantages of anther culture techniques. (1) Androgenic plants, though few in number, showed greater ariation for all the traits with the exception of ear bearing tillers. (2) Predominance of recombinants with wild traits was observed in F₂ segregation. (3) It was possible to recover indica type recombinants among the anther-derived plants with one or two traits introgressed from O. rufipogon. These results suggest the feasibility and utility of anther culture in distant hybridization for incorporation of alien variation into cultivated rice.     

Evaluation of the Food and Agriculture Organization's global school-based nutrition education initiative, Feeding Minds, Fighting Hunger (FMFH), in schools of Hyderabad, India

OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy of the Food and Agriculture Organization's global school-based nutrition education initiative, Feeding Minds, Fighting Hunger (FMFH), in improving nutrition-related knowledge levels of schoolchildren. DESIGN: Adopting the cluster randomisation technique, five schools each in experimental and control groups were randomly chosen from the member schools of a voluntary organisation. Repeated measures of knowledge levels were carried out at three points in time to assess pre-, post-intervention and retention of knowledge gained during the intervention. Children from experimental schools were given nutrition education by teachers in the classroom setting using FMFH material. SUBJECTS/SETTINGS: Schoolchildren (n=358 in the control group and n=312 in the experimental group) of grades VIII and IX from schools in Hyderabad, India.Results: The classroom-based intervention resulted in a significant improvement (P<0.01) in nutrition knowledge levels of schoolchildren in the experimental group. Significant improvement in knowledge was also observed in the control group. The effect size indicated that the improvement in knowledge levels of schoolchildren in experimental schools over control schools was medium (d=0.40), indicating the efficacy of the FMFH programme in improving nutrition-related knowledge. No significant decrease (P>0.05) in knowledge levels was observed after 2 months, indicating retention of the knowledge acquired through the intervention. CONCLUSION: The FMFH programme provides an opportunity for schoolchildren to learn more about nutrition through their teachers in a classroom setting if the lesson plans are adapted to the local circumstances. Furthermore, it has the potential to make nutrition education interactive, effective and sustainable.     

Cardiovascular effects of sevoflurane in Holstein calves

Objective The purpose of this study was to determine the cardiovascular effects of sevoflurane in calves. Study design Prospective experimental study. Animals Six, healthy, 8–12‐week‐old Holstein calves weighing 80 ± 4.5 (mean ± SEM) kg were studied. Methods Anesthesia was induced by face‐mask administration of 7% sevoflurane in O₂. Calves tracheae were intubated, placed in right lateral recumbency, and maintained with 3.7% end‐tidal concentration sevoflurane for 30 minutes to allow catheterization of the auricular artery and placement of a Swan‐Ganz thermodilution catheter into the pulmonary artery. After instrumentation, administration of sevoflurane was temporarily discontinued until mean arterial pressure was > 100 mm Hg. Baseline values were recorded and the vaporizer output increased to administer 3.7% end‐tidal sevoflurane concentration. Ventilation was controlled to maintain normocapnia. The following were recorded at 5, 10, 15, 30 and 45 minutes after collection of baseline data and expressed as the mean value (± SEM): direct systolic, diastolic, and mean arterial blood pressures; cardiac output; mean pulmonary arterial pressure; pulmonary arterial occlusion pressure, heart rate; and pulmonary arterial temperature. Cardiac index and systemic and pulmonary vascular resistance values were calculated using standard formulae. Arterial blood gases were analyzed at baseline, and at 15 and 45 minutes. Differences from baseline values were determined using one‐way analysis of variance for repeated measures with post‐hoc differences between mean values identified using Dunnet's test (p < 0.05). Results Mean time from beginning sevoflurane administration to intubation of the trachea was 224 ± 9 seconds. The mean end‐tidal sevoflurane concentration at baseline was 0.7 (± 0.11)%. Sevoflurane anesthesia was associated with decreased arterial blood pressure at all sampling times. Mean arterial blood pressure decreased from a baseline value of 112 ± 7 mm Hg to a minimum value of 88 ± 4 mm Hg at 5 minutes. Compared with baseline, arterial pH was decreased at 15 minutes. Pulmonary arterial blood temperature was decreased at 15, 30 and 45 minutes. Arterial CO₂ tension increased from a baseline value of 43 ± 3 to 54 ± 4 mm Hg (5.7 ± 0.4 to 7.2 ± 0.3 kPa) at 15 minutes. Mean pulmonary arterial pressure was increased at 30 and 45 minutes. Pulmonary arterial occlusion pressure increased from a baseline value of 18 ± 2 to 23 ± 2 mm Hg at 45 minutes. There were no significant changes in other measured variables. All calves recovered from anesthesia uneventfully. Conclusion We conclude that sevoflurane for induction and maintenance of anesthesia was effective and reliable in these calves and that neither hypotension nor decreased cardiac output was a clinical concern. Clinical relevance Use of sevoflurane for mask induction and maintenance of anesthesia in young calves is a suitable alternative to injectable and other inhalant anesthetics.     

Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii antibodies in captive mithuns (Bos frontalis) from India

One hundred and four mithuns from India were tested for serum antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii by modified direct agglutination test. The overall prevalence of T. gondii antibodies in mithun was 28% (95% CI=19-37). Highest (prevalence rate=46, 95% CI=30-62) seroprevalence of T. gondii antibodies was found in mithuns above 3 years of age and lowest (prevalence rate=14, 95% CI=1-27) in mithuns of 6 months-1 year old. No statistically significant difference was observed between male (prevalence rate=23, 95% CI=10-36) and female (prevalence rate=31, 95% CI=20-42) seroprevalences (P=0.53). Significant difference was observed in the seroprevalence of T. gondii antibodies in mithuns of different strains with the highest (48%) seroprevalence recorded in Arunachal and lowest (14%) in Mizoram strain. The seroprevalence was higher in farm located at lower altitude (305 m a.s.l.) than the farm located at higher altitude (2134 m a.s.l.). This is the first serologic survey for T. gondii antibodies performed on mithuns from India.