Effects of tillage, crop establishment and diversification on soil organic carbon, aggregation, aggregate associated carbon and productivity in cereal systems of semi-arid Northwest India

Intensive tillage based management practices are threatening soil quality and systems sustainability in the rice-wheat belt of Northwest India. Furthermore, it is accentuated with puddling of soil, which disrupts soil aggregates. Conservation agriculture (CA) practices involving zero tillage, crop residue management and suitable crop rotation can serve as better alternative to conventional agriculture for maintaining soil quality. Soil organic carbon is an important determinant of soil quality, playing critical role in food production, mitigation and adaptation to climate change as well as performs many ecosystem functions. To understand the turnover of soil carbon in different forms (Total organic carbon-TOC; aggregate associated carbon-AAC; particulate organic carbon- POC), soil aggregation and crop productivity with different management practices, one conventional agriculture based scenario and three CA based crop management scenarios namely conventional rice-wheat system (Sc1), partial CA based rice-wheat-mungbean system (Sc2), full CA-based rice-wheat-mungbean system (Sc3) and maize-wheat-mungbean system (Sc4) were evaluated. TOC was increased by 71%, 68% and 25% after 4 years of the experiment and 75%, 80% and 38% after 6 years of the experiment in Sc4, Sc3 and Sc2, respectively, over Sc1 at 0-15 cm soil depth. After 4 years of the experiment, 38.5% and 5.0% and after 6 years 50.8% and 24.4% improvement in total water stable aggregates at 0-15 and 15-30 cm soil depth, respectively was observed in CA-based scenarios over Sc1. Higher aggregate indices were associated with Sc3 at 0-15 cm soil depth than others. Among the size classes of aggregates, highest aggregate associated C (8.94 g kg^-1) was retained in the 1-0.5 mm size class under CA-based scenarios. After 6 years, higher POC was associated with Sc4 (116%). CA-based rice/maize system (Sc3 and Sc4) showed higher productivity than Sc1. Therefore, CA could be a potential management practice in rice-wheat cropping system of Northwest India to improve the soil carbon pools through maintaining soil aggregation and productivity.

The Kaiser Permanente Northern California research program on genes, environment, and health (RPGEH) pregnancy cohort: study design, methodology and baseline characteristics

Background

Exposures during the prenatal period may have lasting effects on maternal and child health outcomes. To better understand the effects of the in utero environment on children’s short- and long-term health, large representative pregnancy cohorts with comprehensive information on a broad range of environmental influences (including biological and behavioral) and the ability to link to prenatal, child and maternal health outcomes are needed. The Research Program on Genes, Environment and Health (RPGEH) pregnancy cohort at Kaiser Permanente Northern California (KPNC) was established to create a resource for conducting research to better understand factors influencing women’s and children’s health. Recruitment is integrated into routine clinical prenatal care at KPNC, an integrated health care delivery system. We detail the study design, data collection, and methodologies for establishing this cohort. We also describe the baseline characteristics and the cohort’s representativeness of the underlying pregnant population in KPNC.

Methods

While recruitment is ongoing, as of October 2014, the RPGEH pregnancy cohort included 16,977 pregnancies (53 % from racial and ethnic minorities). RPGEH pregnancy cohort participants consented to have blood samples obtained in the first trimester (mean gestational age 9.1 weeks ± 4.2 SD) and second trimester (mean gestational age 18.1 weeks ± 5.5 SD) to be stored for future use. Women were invited to complete a questionnaire on health history and lifestyle. Information on women’s clinical and health assessments before, during and after pregnancy and women and children’s health outcomes are available in the health system’s electronic health records, which also allows long-term follow-up.

Discussion

This large, racially- and ethnically-diverse cohort of pregnancies with prenatal biospecimens and clinical data is a valuable resource for future studies on in utero environmental exposures and maternal and child perinatal and long term health outcomes. The baseline characteristics of RPGEH Pregnancy Cohort demonstrate that it is highly representative of the underlying population living in the broader community in Northern California.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12884-016-1150-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Effect of inhomogeneities and source position on dose distribution of nucletron high dose rate Ir-192 brachytherapy source by Monte Carlo simulation

BACKGROUND

The presence of least dense dry air and highly dense cortical bone in the path of radiation and the position of source, near or far from the surface of patient, affects the exact dose delivery like in breast brachytherapy.

AIM

This study aims to find out the dose difference in the presence of inhomogeneities like cortical bone and dry air as well as to find out difference of dose due to position of source in water phantom of high dose rate (HDR) 192 Ir nucletron microselectron v2 (mHDRv2) brachytherapy source using Monte Carlo (MC) simulation EGSnrc code, so that the results could be used in Treatment Planning System (TPS) for more precise brachytherapy treatment.

SETTINGS AND DESIGN

The settings and design are done using different software of the computer.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

For this study, the said source, water phantom of volume 30 x 30 x 30 cm 3, inhomogeneities each of volume 1 x 2 x 2 cm3 with their position, water of water phantom and position of source are modeled using three-dimensional MC EGSnrc code.

STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED

Mean and probability are used for results and discussion.

RESULTS

The % relative dose difference is calculated here as 5.5 to 6.5% higher and 4.5 to 5% lower in the presence of air and cortical bone respectively at transverse axis of the source, which may be due to difference of linear attenuation coefficients of the inhomogeneities. However, when the source was positioned at 1 cm distance from the surface of water phantom, the near points between 1 to 2 cm and 3 to 8 cm. from the source, at its transverse axis, were 2 to 3.5% and 4 to 16% underdose to the dose when the source was positioned at mid-point of water phantom. This may be due to lack of back scatter material when the source was positioned very near to the surface of said water phantom and overlap of the additional cause of missing scatter component with the primary dose for near points from the source. These results were found in good agreement with literature data.

CONCLUSION

The results can be used in TPS.

Serogroups, atypical biochemical characters, colicinogeny and antibiotic resistance pattern of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli isolated from diarrhoeic calves in Gujarat, India

This study was designed to investigate the antibiotic resistance, colicinogeny, serotyping and atypical biochemical characteristics of 41 Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) strains detected using polymerase chain reaction from 90 E. coli strains isolated from 46 diarrhoeic calves. The STEC strains belonged to 14 different serogroups. Seventeen per cent of the STEC strains carried the eaeA gene while 14.28% of the 49 non-STEC strains were eaeA positive. Twenty eight (68.29%) of the 41 STEC strains were rhamnose non-fermentors. All the STEC strains revealed resistance to at least three of the antibiotics tested. 100% resistance was found against kanamycin and cephalexin followed by cephaloridine, enrofloxacin, amikacin, ampicillin, tetracycline, ceftiofur, ciprofloxacin, colistin and co-trimoxazole. Eighteen (44%) of the STEC strains produced colicin and all these colicinogenic strains were resistant to three or more antibiotics. Eleven STEC strains (26.82%) showed urease activity. The results of this study suggest that diarrhoeic calves are an important reservoir of STEC strains that are potentially pathogenic for farm animals and humans. Moreover, rhamnose fermentation, colicinogeny and atypical biochemical behaviour, such as urease activity, may serve as important markers or diagnostic tools for epidemiological surveys to trace the source of infection in disease outbreaks.

DNA polymorphism of insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-3 gene and its association with birth weight and body weight in cattle

Insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) is a protein that binds the majority of insulin-like growth factors in circulation for regulation of its action on growth and metabolism of the animals. Animals belonging to Hariana, Holstein-Friesian (HF) and their crossbreds (HF x Hariana) were studied using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism and nucleotide sequencing of the IGFBP-3 gene. A 651-bp fragment of the IGFBP-3 gene spanning over a part of exon 2, complete intron 2, exon 3 and a part of intron 3 was amplified and digested with HaeIII restriction enzyme. Three patterns of restriction fragments were observed in HF and crossbred cattle revealing polymorphism in both the populations. The frequency of AA, AB and BB genotypes was 0.65, 0.32 and 0.03 in crossbreds and 0.29, 0.65 and 0.06 in HF respectively. The allelic frequency of the A and B allele was 0.81 and 0.19 in crossbreds and 0.62 and 0.38 in HF cattle respectively. Only one restriction pattern (AA genotype) was observed in all the animals of Hariana breed of Bos indicus showing the absence of polymorphism. Nucleotide sequencing revealed a C --> A mutation in the intron 2 region of the IGFBP-3 gene as the cause of the polymorphism. Least squares analysis revealed a significant effect (p < 0.05) of genotypes on birth weight and body weight (weight at 12, 18 and 24 months of age) of the animals. Animals of AB genotype showed higher birth weight and body weight than the animals possessing AA genotype.

The transcriptional landscape of the mammalian genome

This study describes comprehensive polling of transcription start and termination sites and analysis of previously unidentified full-length complementary DNAs derived from the mouse genome. We identify the 5' and 3' boundaries of 181,047 transcripts with extensive variation in transcripts arising from alternative promoter usage, splicing, and polyadenylation. There are 16,247 new mouse protein-coding transcripts, including 5154 encoding previously unidentified proteins. Genomic mapping of the transcriptome reveals transcriptional forests, with overlapping transcription on both strands, separated by deserts in which few transcripts are observed. The data provide a comprehensive platform for the comparative analysis of mammalian transcriptional regulation in differentiation and development.

Molecular cloning, expression, and regulation of hippocampal amyloid precursor protein of senescence accelerated mouse (SAMP8)

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is associated with increased expression of amyloid precursor protein (APP) with a consequent deposition of amyloid beta peptide (Abeta) which forms characteristic senile plaques. We have noticed that the senescence accelerated mouse (SAMP8), a strain of mouse that exhibits age-dependent defects such as loss of memory and retention at an early age of 8-12 months, also produces increased amounts of APP and Abeta similar to those observed in Alzheimer's disease (AD). In order to investigate if this is due to mutations in APP similar to those observed in AD, and to develop molecular probes that regulate its expression, APP cDNA was cloned from the hippocampus of 8-month-old SAMP8 mouse. The nucleotide sequence is 99.7% homologous with that of mouse and rat, 88.7% with monkey, and 89.2% with human homologues. At the amino acid level, the homology was 99.2% and 97.6% with rodent and primate sequences, respectively. A single amino acid substitution of Alanine instead of Valine at position 300 was unique to SAMP8 mouse APP. However, no mutations similar to those reported in human familial AD were observed. When the cDNA was expressed in HeLa cells, glycosylated mature APP could be detected by immunoblotting technique. The expression could be regulated in a time- and concentration-dependent manner by using an antisense oligonucleotide specific to APP mRNA. Such regulation of APP expression may have a therapeutic application in vivo.

The role of Wobe-Mugos in reducing acute sequele of radiation in head and neck cancers--a clinical phase-III randomized trial

Oral enzymes act as a potent antiinflammatory, antiedematous agents thereby decreasing acute toxigenic effect of radiation and increasing compliance, quality of life of our patients. Fifty patients were randomized 25 allocated in enzyme and radiotherapy arm, 25 in radiotherapy alone. Pre RT and post RT biopsies were taken from both arms. In our study it was found that there was clinical, histopathological as well as statistical significant difference in both arms. The enzyme arm patients had mucostis of grade I in 76%, grade II in 12%, grade III in 8% while as 8% had grade I, 68% grade II, 24% had grade III in RT arm alone. In enzyme patients skin reactions of grade I in 72%, 20% had grade II, 8% had grade III. In control arm 12% had grade I, 76% had grade II, 8% had grade III skin reaction.

Pancreatic duct abnormalities in gall stone disease: an endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatographic study

This study was carried out to assess pancreatic duct abnormalities in gall stone disease. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatograms of 50 patients with gall stone disease were analysed and the results compared with those obtained in 33 patients investigated for cholestatic jaundice who were found to have a normal biliary tree (control group). Abnormal pancreatograms were obtained in 24 (48%) patients with gall stone disease and in only two (6%) in the control group; the differences were statistically significant (chi 2 = 14.3; p less than 0.001). The patients in the control group showed mild abnormalities as did those in the gall stone group. The frequency of various abnormalities were: mild 16 (32%), moderate five (10%), and severe three (6%). Pancreatic duct abnormalities were more severe and occurred more frequently in patients with gall stones who had stones in the biliary tree than in patients with a normal biliary tree (postcholecystectomy patients, 55% v 25%) but the difference between the two groups just failed to be significant (chi 2 = 3.34). In conclusion, nearly half of all patients with gall stone disease have pancreatic duct abnormalities and in 16% these were severe enough to be labelled as chronic pancreatitis.