Generation of district level rice crop inventory, growth profile and yield estimation in Orissa using spot-vegetation data

Spot-vegetation 10 day NDVI composites over Orissa state were analysed to study rice crop inventory and condition assessment. A total of 17 images from July to December during the monsoon (kharif) season of 1998 (S1) and 2001 (S2) a drought and normal year, respectively were analysed. A hierarchical decision rule-based approach that successively eliminated data loss, non vegetated land, forest cover, fallow and other crops was adopted for rice inventory. NDVI temporal profiles of rice could distinguish autumn and winter rice. The total monsoon rice area identified by RS in the state was 4.5 M ha in 1998 and 4.05 M ha in 2001 and was within 7 percent of the state level rice estimate given by Directorate of Economic Survey (DES) i.e., 4.26 and 4.22 M ha, respectively. A new profile fit i.e., a six parameter modified Gaussian approach was adopted. The spectral profile indicated higher mean NDVI at peak growth profile of lowland winter rice (sown in June-July) in 2001-02 compared to 1998-1999. Thus, 2001-2002 rice was seen to be normal while in 1998-1999 a drought affected year. District-wise NDVI profiles of rice were generated and peak NDVI and date at peak profile were found to be correlated with rice yield at district and agro-climatic zone level. Use of rainfall with spectral profile parameters in yield model group of districts or zonal level improved coefficient of determination. This study demonstrates the utility of 1 km and 10 day NDVI composite data for rice crop assessment during monsoon season.

Effect of different pasture legumes on growth profile and forage production of the selected native pasture grasses mix at different growth stages

The present experiment aimed to investigate the effect of introducing different pasture legumes on the growth profile and forage production of the selected native pasture grass species at different stages of growth. In a completely randomized design with 5 treatments and 5 replications, the mixture of Sorghum plumosum (SP) and Bothriochloa pertusa (BP) was introduced respectively with one of the forage legumes ie. Alysicarpus vaginalis (AV), Pueraria phasoloides (PP), Desmodium incanum (DI), and Clitoria ternatea (CT). Growth profile and forage production were measured at 40, 60, and 80 days after planting. Results showed that CT and PP significantly improved the growth and DM production of SP and suppressed (P<0.05) the growth of BP during the early vegetative stage but did not during the late vegetative stage. Introduction of legumes reduced (P<0.05) DM production of SP and the total forage production but improved (P<0.001) the DM production of B. pertusa as well as a leaf:stem ratio of both types of grass at the generative stage. PP had the highest (P<0.05) contribution of legumes to the total DM forage production during early and vegetative stages, meanwhile AV and DI during the generative stage. In conclusion, the introduction of forage legumes did not improve the DM production of both grass species but modify their growth profile toward a better quality as shown by increased leaf:stem ratio. P. phasoloides provide the highest foliage during the vegetative stage and A. vaginalis and D. incanum during the generative stage.

Growth-profile configuration for specific deformations of tubular organs: A study of growth-induced thinning and dilation of the human cervix

Growth is a significant factor that results in deformations of tubular organs, and particular deformations associated with growth enable tubular organs to perform certain physiological functions. Configuring growth profiles that achieve particular deformation patterns is critical for analyzing potential pathological conditions and for developing corresponding clinical treatments for tubular organ dysfunctions. However, deformation-targeted growth is rarely studied. In this article, the human cervix during pregnancy is studied as an example to show how cervical thinning and dilation are generated by growth. An advanced hyperelasticity theory called morphoelasticity is employed to model the deformations, and a growth tensor is used to represent growth in three principle directions. The computational results demonstrate that both negative radial growth and positive circumferential growth facilitate thinning and dilation. Modeling such mixed growth represents an advancement beyond commonly used uniform growth inside tissues to study tubular deformations. The results reveal that complex growth may occur inside tissues to achieve certain tubular deformations. Integration of further biochemical and cellular activities that initiate and mediate such complex growth remains to be explored.

Growth Outcome and Metabolic Profile of PWS Patients Treated With GH and Differences Between AGA and SGA Group

Objective: Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is a complex genetic disease associated with growth impairment, severe obesity and metabolic dysfunctions. High proportion of PWS patients are born small for gestational age (SGA), which also increase the risk of growth impairment and metabolic dysfunction. The aim of this study was to describe growth outcome and and metabolic profiles in GH treated PWS patients. We also investigated the differences in clinical outcomes between AGA and SGA group Methods: Data of 55 children and adults with genetically verified PWS aged more than 2 years old (32 male and 23 female, age 2-18.8 years) from single center were studied. Only patients who were treated with GH were included. The clinical characteristics and laboratory findings were reviewed retrospectively. Results: Among 55 subjects, 39 had 15q11-13 deletion and 16 had uniparental disomy (UPD). Twenty (36.3%) were born SGA. All patients received GH treatment, and 11 (20%) discontinued GH treatemnt. Mean age at GH treatment initiation was 2.5 (range 0.3-12.4) years, and mean duration of treatment was 6.3 (range 1.0-11.3) years. Current height-SDS (-0.36 vs -0.16) and BMI-SDS (1.44 vs 1.33) did not differ between AGA and SGA group. Two patients in SGA group, but none in AGA group had diabetes mellitus. Mean glucose level was also higher in SGA group (100.1 vs 114.4 mg/dL) Conclusions: Our report gives an overview of growth profile and metabolic dysfunctions recorded in GH treated PWS patients. Growth profile did not differ between AGA and SGA group. Glucose level was higher in SGA group, so more careful monitoring and prevention for DM will be required in SGA group.

A Facile Ligand-Free Route to Calcium Carbonate Superstructures

Shape control has been achievable in a wide range of mesoscale materials, while for calcium carbonate (CaCO3) which has relatively low dispersibility, limited ligand-binding ability and therefore unmanageable growth profile,...

Synthesis, characterisation and microbial utilisation of amorphous polysugars from lactose

© 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. The melt polymerisations of glucose, galactose, xylose and fucose with citric acid, and mixtures of sugars therein are reported. Characterisation of the citric-acid catalysed reaction products indicated similar degrees of branched polymerisation but differences in the overall molecular weight of the polymers produced. The dairy by-product lactose could not be polymerised in a similar fashion but was shown tobe readily hydrolysed using microwave radiation and a polymer generated from the melt condensation of the resultant glucose and galactose monosaccharides. A preliminary assessment of the bifido-bacterialutilisation of the lactose-derived polymerised products demonstrated a significantly different growth profile compared to commercially utilised galactooligosaccharides (GOS).