A Prospective Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing the Psychological Impact of Traditional Cold Steel Adenoidectomy and Endoscopic-Assisted Cold Steel Adenoidectomy.

Traditional Cold Steel Adenoidectomy (TCSA) and Endoscopic-Assisted Cold Steel Adenoidectomy (EACSA) frequently employ surgical adenoid removal methods. While these techniques effectively treat adenoid- related conditions, their influence on patients' psychological well-being still needs to be more adequately explored. With the increasing focus on the significance of mental well-being in surgical results, this study sought to explore and differentiate the psychological impacts of TCSA and EACSA. The primary objective was to examine and compare anxiety levels between TCSA and EACSA groups. Secondary objectives included evaluating surgical apprehension, post- surgery psychological well-being, procedural satisfaction, postoperative pain, duration until return to daily activities, and occurrence of postoperative complications. In a prospective, randomized controlled trial, 100 patients undergoing adenoidectomy were randomly allocated to the TCSA or EACSA group. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) was employed to evaluate anxiety levels at one week, one month, and three months following the surgery. Additional outcomes included surgical apprehension, post-surgery psychological well-being, procedural satisfaction, postoperative pain, time until return to daily activities, and postoperative complications. The EACSA group exhibited significantly lower HADS scores, surgical apprehension scores, and postoperative pain, alongside higher post-surgery psychological well-being scores and procedural satisfaction compared to the TCSA group (p < 0.05). Moreover, the EACSA group had a significantly shorter duration until the return to daily activities (p < 0.05). There were no significant variations found between the groups in terms of either the amount of bleeding during the procedure or the length of the operation. However, the EACSA group demonstrated a lower occurrence of postoperative complications, such as bleeding and infection. The results indicate that EACSA may provide benefits over TCSA in terms of reduced anxiety levels, surgical apprehension, postoperative pain, time until return to daily activities, and enhanced post-surgery psychological well-being and patient satisfaction. These findings could support clinicians in making informed decisions and offering patient counselling when choosing the most appropriate surgical technique based on patients' psychological health. Nevertheless, additional research is required to assess the enduring psychological consequences of these methods.

Negligible radiological impact of Indian nuclear power plants on the environment and the public: Findings from a 20-year study.

Nuclear power plants, recognized for their extended operational life, minimal greenhouse gas emissions, and high-power density, are deemed as reliable energy sources. Nonetheless, concerns persist regarding the radioactive discharges from these plants and their potential impact on health and the environment. To comprehend the radiological implications of such releases, this study presents, for the first time, an analysis of radiological data from 7 Indian nuclear power plants (NPPs), collected by Indian environmental survey laboratories (ESL) over the past two decades (2000-2020). This dataset encompasses radioactivity concentrations in the atmospheric, aquatic, and terrestrial environments within a 30 km radius of each NPP, as well as the annual cumulative external gamma doses recorded by environmental thermoluminescence dosimeters (TLDs). The analysis yielded several key findings: (i) Radioactivity concentrations around the NPPs were low and comparable to values measured at other nuclear power plant sites worldwide; (ii) Tritium concentrations in receiving water bodies were <1 % of the internationally recommended limit of 10,000 Bq/l; (iii) The estimated total radiation doses to the public were at most 10 % of the stipulated regulatory dose limit of 1000 µSv and consistently decreased over the study period and (iv) Variations in doses among the NPP sites were primarily attributed to legacy technology used in specific reactors. These results indicate efficient and secure reactor operations and the minimal contribution of Indian nuclear power plants to anthropogenic doses in the country. The findings hold potential significance for reinforcing India's commitment to advancing its nuclear power program.

Studies on diurnal variation of atmospheric tritium concentration at a sampling location near to PHWR site in Semi-Arid Zone, India.

Tritium (3H) is one of the important long-lived radioisotopes in the gaseous effluent released from Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWR). For the first time, the studies on diurnal variation of atmospheric tritium concentration was carried out using an in-house developed automatic air moisture collection sampler at Kakrapar Gujarat site, India, where PHWRs are operational. Correlation of diurnal variation of atmospheric tritium concentration with meteorological parameters such as absolute humidity, ambient temperature and wind speed is studied and presented in this paper. Positive and significant correlation of atmospheric 3H concentration was observed with respect to the absolute humidity. Negative correlation was observed in ambient temperature and wind speed. The diurnal maximum and minimum of 3H concentration was found during 21.00-23.00 h (night) and 13.00-16.00 h (day), respectively.

Immobilization of chromium bioavailability through application of organic waste to Indian mustard (Brassica juncea) under chromium-contaminated Indian soils.

Industrialization results in production of large volume of wastewaters, and disposing of them become a serious problem. The wastewaters may have range of heavy metals, which have an impact on soil and plant health. The objective was to evaluate the influence of farm yard manure (FYM) and pressmud (PM) applications on Indian mustard growth and chromium (Cr) uptake in tannery effluent irrigated Cr-contaminated soil. Soil was collected from the tannery effluent irrigated fields (chromium contaminated) of Shekhpura village of Kanpur, India. A pot culture experiment was carried out by growing Indian mustard (Brassica juncea) var. RH 749 on the Cr-contaminated soil with application of different levels and combinations of FYM and PM (at 0, 2.5, and 5 g kg-1 each). Biomass yield, Cr uptake, bioconcentration factor (BCF), transfer factor (TF), transfer efficiency (TE), and Cr removal indices were examined. Higher doses of FYM and PM resulted in reduction of Cr concentrations in shoot (6.60 to 2.50 µg g-1) and root (27.27 to 9.43 µg g-1); and absorption in plant tissues and had improved total dry matter yield (14.56 to 30.94 g pot-1). The use of FYM and PM had a substantial (p ≤ 0.05) impact on phytoremediation parameters like BCF (0.128 to 0.045), TE (59.61 to 64.51%), and Cr removal (0.65 to 0.51%). Combined application of FYM (5 g kg-1) and PM (5 g kg-1) had enhanced the dry matter yield of shoot (12.51 to 26.40 g pot-1) and root (2.05 to 4.54 g pot-1) and reduced the Cr uptake (138.54 to 108.79 mg pot-1) than the individual amendment addition of FYM (138.52 to 135.89 mg pot-1) and PM (126.02 to 130.52 mg pot-1). Combined application of FYM (5 g kg-1) and PM (5 g kg-1) could be beneficial for remediation of Cr-contaminated areas for cultivation of crops.

Monensin supplementation downregulated the expression signature of genes involved in cholesterol synthesis in the ruminal epithelium and adipose tissue of lambs.

To understand the metabolic mechanisms regulating lipid metabolism by monensin, Afshari male lambs (n = 16) with 41.0 ± 2.4 kg body weight (BW, mean ± SD) at approximately 180 days of age were randomly assigned equally to two dietary treatments. After a 21-day pre-adaptation period, all animals in two groups continued to receive the basal diet, but one group received no monensin supplementation (control) while the other group received 30 mg/day of monensin per animal. Individual BW was recorded weekly to determine the average daily body weight gain (ADG). At the end of the 56-day experimental period, lambs were weighed and slaughtered. Monensin supplementation did not affect BW, ADG, and rumen fermentation characteristics. However, monensin significantly downregulated the sterol regulatory element-binding protein (SREBP)-2 gene expression in all sample tissues (p < 0.05). Also, monensin downregulated expressions of SREBP-1c and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)-γ in back fat tissues. Monensin increased the expression of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA synthase (HMGCS)-2, but it decreased the mRNA abundance of HMGCS-1 in the rumen epithelial tissues (p < 0.05). Our data suggest that monensin downregulates cholesterol synthesis via inhibition of HMGCS-1 and impairment of the SREBP pathway, probably due to a crosstalk among different tissues to control energy metabolism.

Role of whole-body vibration exposure and posture of dumper operators in musculoskeletal disorders: a case study in metalliferous mines.

Objectives. The combined role of whole-body vibration (WBV) exposure and awkward posture on musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) experienced by dumper operators in two metalliferous mines in India was evaluated through a cross-sectional study. Methods. Frequency-weighted root mean square (rms) acceleration was used for WBV exposure assessment. Anthropometry and rapid upper limb assessment (RULA) were used for static and dynamic posture assessment, respectively. Prevalence of MSDs was assessed using the Nordic musculoskeletal questionnaire (NMQ). Logistic regression was used to assess the factors contributing to MSD problems. Results. The rms values revealed that the operators exceeded the lower limit of Standard No. ISO 2631-1:1997. The dynamic posture study revealed that the majority of dumper operators were taking awkward postures and 58-74% of them were subjected to high and medium levels of MSD risk. The adjusted odds ratio (7.96, 95% confidence interval [1.24, 41.35]) for the most awkward postures revealed WBV exposure as the significant risk factor for MSD problems among the operators. Conclusion. WBV exposure and posture of operators should be regularly monitored and corrective actions implemented to reduce their MSD problems. Ergonomic seat design based on the anthropometry of the operators should be assessed at the time of procuring new equipment.

Evaluation of spatial spreading of phyto-available sulphur and micronutrients in cultivated coastal soils.

Understanding the spatial spreading patterns of plant-available sulphur (S) (AS) and plant-available micronutrients (available zinc (AZn), available iron (AFe), available copper (ACu), available manganese (AMn) and available boron (AB)) in soils, especially in coastal agricultural soils subjected to various natural and anthropogenic activities, is vital for sustainable crop production by adopting site-specific nutrient management (SSNM) strategies. We studied the spatial distribution patterns of AS, AZn, AFe, ACu, AMn, and AB in cultivated soils of coastal districts of India using geostatistical approaches. Altogether 39,097 soil samples from surface (0 to 15 cm depth) layers were gathered from farm lands of 68 coastal districts. The analysis of soil samples was carried out for soil pH, electrical conductivity (EC), soil organic carbon (SOC) and AS, AZn, AFe, ACu, AMn, and AB. Soil pH, EC and SOC varied from 3.70 to 9.90, 0.01 to 7.45 dS m-1 and 0.02 to 3.74%, respectively. The concentrations of AS, AZn, AFe, ACu, AMn, and AB varied widely in the study area with their corresponding mean values were 37.4±29.4, 1.50±1.53, 27.9±35.1, 2.14±1.74, 16.9±18.4 and 1.34±1.52 mg kg-1, respectively. The coefficient of variation values of analyzed soil parameters varied from 14.6 to 126%. The concentrations of AS, AZn, AFe, ACu, AMn, and AB were negatively and significantly correlated with soil pH and positively and significantly correlated with SOC. The geostatistical analysis indicated stable, Gaussian and exponential best-fit semivariogram models with moderate to strong spatial dependence for available nutrients. The generated spatial spreading maps revealed different distribution patterns for AS, AZn, AFe, ACu, AMn, and AB. There were variations in spatial spreading patterns of AS, AZn, AFe, ACu, AMn, and AB in east- and west-coastal area. About 62, 35, 12, 0.4, 23 and 45% of the study area had deficiency of AS, AZn, AFe, ACu, AMn, and AB, respectively. The spatial spreading maps will be highly useful for SSNM in the cultivated coastal soils of the country. This study could also be used as a base for assessing spatial spreading patterns of soil parameters in cultivated coastal areas of other parts of the world.

NATURALLY OCCURRING RADIONUCLIDE 40K BODY CONTENT OF KAKRAPAR GUJARAT SITE POPULATION.

An attempt was made to investigate the naturally occurring radionuclide 40K body content of the Kakrapar Gujarat Site (India) population by using whole-body counting method. The population comprises occupational workers (regular and contract personnel working at Kakrapar Atomic Power station) and students from various educational institutions. A total of 1056 subjects of different age groups and gender were monitored for 40K body content by using a Standfast-II Whole Body Counting System. The reactor released radionuclides such as 137Cs, 60Co and 131I are not detected in occupational workers of Kakrapar Atomic Power station which indicates that occupational workers are free from radioactive contamination. Based on the activity measurement, an effective dose due to 40K was estimated for different groups of the site population based on the dietary habits, sex and age. Statistical significant correlation was not observed in any of the groups. The annual effective dose due to 40K was found to be in the range of 52-243 µSv y-1 with an average of 133 ± 35 µSv y-1 for the vegetarian group (588 subjects), 60-223 µSv y-1 with an average of 136 ± 35 µSv y-1 for the non-vegetarian group (468 subjects), 52-243 µSv y-1 with an average of 134 ± 35 µSv y-1 for the male group (1007 subjects) and 67-203 µSv y-1 with an average of 128 ± 35 µSv y-1 for the female group (49 subjects), respectively. Among the four age groups of the population studied, an effective dose due to 40K is slightly higher in the age group of 20-29 (161 subjects). The annual effective dose due to 40K reported by UNSCEAR, 1982(3) is 180 µSv y-1.

Disease-Suppressive Soils-Beyond Food Production: a Critical Review.

In the pursuit of higher food production and economic growth and increasing population, we have often jeopardized natural resources such as soil, water, vegetation, and biodiversity at an alarming rate. In this process, wider adoption of intensive farming practices, namely changes in land use, imbalanced fertilizer application, minimum addition of organic residue/manure, and non-adoption of site-specific conservation measures, has led to declining in soil health and land degradation in an irreversible manner. In addition, increasing use of pesticides, coupled with soil and water pollution, has led the researchers to search for an environmental-friendly and cost-effective alternatives to controlling soil-borne diseases that are difficult to control, and which significantly limit agricultural productivity. Since the 1960s, disease-suppressive soils (DSS) have been identified and studied around the world. Soil disease suppression is the reduction in the incidence of soil-borne diseases even in the presence of a host plant and inoculum in the soil. The disease-suppressive capacity is mainly attributed to diverse microbial communities present in the soil that could act against soil-borne pathogens in multifaceted ways. The beneficial microorganisms employ some specific functions such as antibiosis, parasitism, competition for resources, and predation. However, there has been increasing evidence on the role of soil abiotic factors that largely influence the disease suppression. The intricate interactions of the soil, plant, and environmental components in a disease triangle make this process complex yet crucial to study to reduce disease incidence. Increasing resistance of the pathogen to presently available chemicals has led to the shift from culturable microbes to unexplored and unculturable microbes. Agricultural management practices such as tillage, fertilization, manures, irrigation, and amendment applications significantly alter the soil physicochemical environment and influence the growth and behaviour of antagonistic microbes. Plant factors such as age, type of crop, and root behaviour of the plant could stimulate or limit the diversity and structure of soil microorganisms in the rhizosphere. Further, identification and in-depth of disease-suppressive soils could lead to the discovery of more beneficial microorganisms with novel anti-microbial and plant promoting traits. To date, several microbial species have been isolated and proposed as key contributors in disease suppression, but the complexities as well as the mechanisms of the microbial and abiotic interactions remain elusive for most of the disease-suppressive soils. Thus, this review critically explores disease-suppressive attributes in soils, mechanisms involved, and biotic and abiotic factors affecting DSS and also briefly reviewing soil microbiome for anti-microbial drugs, in fact, a consequence of DSS phenomenon.

Review: Methanogens and methane production in the digestive systems of nonruminant farm animals.

The greenhouse gases (GHGs) derived from agriculture include carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, and methane (CH4). Of these GHGs, CH4, in particular, constitutes a major component of the GHG emitted by the agricultural sector. Along with environmental concerns, CH4 emission also leads to losses in gross energy intake with economic implications. While ruminants are considered the main source of CH4 from agriculture, nonruminant animals also contribute substantially, and the CH4 emission intensity of nonruminants remains comparable to that of ruminants. Means of mitigating CH4 emissions from enteric fermentation have therefore been sought. Methane is produced by methanogens-archaeal microorganisms that inhabit the digestive tracts of animals and participate in fermentation processes. As the diversity of methanogen communities is thought to be responsible for the differences in CH4 production among nonruminant animals, it is necessary to investigate the archaeal composition of specific animal species. Methanogens play an important role in energy metabolism and adipose tissue deposition in animals. Higher abundances of methanogens, along with their higher diversity, have been reported to contribute to lean phenotype in pigs. In particular, a greater abundance of Methanosphaera spp. and early dominance of Methanobrevibacter smithii have been reported to correlate with lower body fat formation in pigs. Besides the contribution of methanogens to the metabolic phenotype of their hosts, CH4 release reduces the productivity that could be achieved through other hydrogen (H2) disposal pathways. Enhanced participation of acetogenesis in H2 disposal, leading to acetate formation, could be a more favorable direction for animal production and the environment. Better knowledge and understanding of the archaeal communities of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT), including their metabolism and interactions with other microorganisms, would thus allow the development of new strategies for inhibiting methanogens and shifting toward acetogenesis. There are a variety of approaches to inhibiting methanogens and mitigating methanogenesis in ruminants, which can find an application for nonruminants, such as nutritional changes through supplementation with biologically active compounds and management changes. We summarize the available reports and provide a comprehensive review of methanogens living in the GIT of various nonruminants, such as swine, horses, donkeys, rabbits, and poultry. This review will help in a better understanding of the populations and diversity of methanogens and the implications of their presence in nonruminant animals.

Menthol stimulates calcium absorption in the rumen but not in the jejunum of sheep.

Stimulation of Ca2+ absorption can counteract hypocalcemia at the onset of lactation. The plant bioactive lipid compound (PBLC) menthol is an agonist for nonselective cation channels of the transient receptor potential (TRP) family. It acutely stimulated Ca2+ absorption in ruminal epithelia of nonadapted animals ex vivo and caused higher plasma Ca2+ concentrations in cows and sheep in vivo. To elucidate the pathway by which menthol feeding increases plasma Ca2+ level, the present study aimed to investigate the long-term dose-dependent effects of dietary menthol-rich PBLC on Ca2+ absorption and mRNA abundances of TRP channels in both rumen and jejunum. Twenty-four growing Suffolk sheep were equally distributed to a Con, PBLC-L, and PBLC-H group, which received 0, 80, and 160 mg/d of a menthol-rich PBLC. After 4 wk, ruminal and jejunal epithelia were analyzed for mRNA abundances of TRPA1, TRPV3, TRPV5-6, and TRPM6-8 genes. The Ca2+ flux rates and electrophysiological properties of epithelia from rumen and mid-jejunum were measured in Ussing chambers in the presence and absence of mucosal Na+. Acute changes in Ca2+ flux rates were measured after mucosal application of 50 µM menthol. Ruminal epithelia had quantifiable transcripts of TRPV3 = TRPM6 >TRPM7 >TRPA1 with no difference among feeding groups. Jejunum had quantifiable transcripts of TRPM7 >TRPA1 ≥ TRPM6 ≥ TRPV6 >TRPV5, where TRPA1, TRPV5, and TRPV6 tended to decrease linearly with increasing PBLC dose. Absorptive net flux of Ca2+ was detected only in the rumen, whereas jejunum showed a high passive permeability to Ca2+. Net flux rates of Ca2+ in the rumen increased in a quadratic manner (highest in PBLC-L animals) and were systematically decreased with the omission of mucosal Na+. Short-circuit current increased in both PBLC feeding groups compared with Con only in the rumen. Acute application of menthol-stimulated mucosal-to-serosal and net Ca2+ flux rates only in ruminal epithelia with higher stimulation in PBLC-fed animals. We conclude that Ca2+ transport is mainly active and transcellular in the rumen. It most likely involves TRPV3 that can be stimulated by menthol. Pre-feeding of menthol-rich PBLC enhances ruminal Ca2+ absorption and sensitizes it to acute stimulation by menthol. By contrast, intestinal Ca2+ absorption is not sensitive to menthol stimulation. Menthol could be used as a tool to enhance ruminal Ca2+ absorption and to prevent hypocalcemia in dairy cows.

Effect of lockdown due to SARS COVID-19 on aerosol optical depth (AOD) over urban and mining regions in India.

The Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-COronaVIrus Diseases 2019 (SARS-COVID-19) pandemic has posed a serious threat to human health (death) and substantial economic losses across the globe. It was however presumed that extreme preventive measures of entire lockdown in India might have reduced the air pollution level and therefore decreased the aerosol optical depth (AOD). The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS)-based Multi-angle Implementation of Atmospheric Correction (MAIAC) daily AOD product was deployed to investigate the change in AOD level during lockdown phases across the Indian Territory as compared to the long-term mean AOD level (2000-2019) of the same periods. The key findings of the study revealed that AOD level over the Indian Territory is greatly reduced (~45%) during the lockdown periods as compared to the long-term mean AOD level (2000-2019). Furthermore, a noteworthy negative AOD anomaly (~6 to 37%) was observed across the four metropolitan cities in India during the entire lockdown period (25th March to 15th May 2020). However, coal mining regions of the various coalfields in India showed a positive anomaly (~+11 to 40%) during the lockdown periods due to ongoing mining operations. In a nutshell, the study results indicated a huge drop in the AOD level over Indian Territory during lockdown periods. It is expected that the pandemic can influence some policy decisions to propose air pollution control methods. Lockdown events possibly may play a crucial role as a potential solution for air pollution abatement in the future. It may not be uncommon in future when the governments may implement deliberately selective lockdowns at pollution hotspots to control the pollution level.

Reducing chromium uptake through application of calcium and sodium in spinach.

In peri-urban areas, the use of wastewater for crop production is a common practice due to water scarcity. Moreover, in the recent years, large quantity of wastewater generation and discharge as industrial effluent in water resources is another issue for reduction of water quality. The leather industries are significantly contributing chromium (Cr) in effluent, whereas, other industries may have salt and cationic load in their discharges are mixed up. Therefore, it is mandatory to study the interactive effect of different effluent constituents on crop plants. In this connection, a pot culture experiment was conducted at the ICAR-Indian Institute of Soil Science, Bhopal to compute the effect of application of calcium (Ca) and sodium (Na) ions on Cr uptake by spinach crop in Vertisol of central India. Three levels of Cr (0, 50, 100 mg kg-1), calcium (0, 2, 4 mM), and sodium (0, 40, 80 mM) were applied in combinations. The spinach variety All Green was used as a test crop and harvested at full maturity. Results showed that application of Ca and Na reduced the Cr uptake in spinach crop. The reduction of Cr uptake was more in the root than shoot. Applied calcium acted as an essential plant nutrient and enhanced the crop biomass. Sole applications of Na adversely affected the crop biomass and Cr uptake in both root and shoot of spinach. In conclusion, application of Ca fertilizers reduced the Cr toxicity in spinach and could be used as a strategy for the safe utilization of tannery industrial effluents for crop production.

Chromium toxicity mediated by application of chloride and sulfate ions in Vertisol of Central India.

Chromium (Cr) is one of the toxic metals adversely affecting organisms including humans in the ecosystems, and it is present in considerable concentration in the tannery industrial effluent. Toxicity expression of Cr is suspected to be influenced considerably by other accompanying ions present in the effluent used for irrigation. In a screen house experiment, interactive effects of chloride and sulfate ions in a Vertisol on uptake of Cr by spinach crop were investigated and treatments imposed were three levels each of Cr (0, 50, 100 mg kg-1), chloride (Cl-) (0, 25, 50 mM kg-1), and sulfur (S) (0, 4, 8 mM kg-1) in possible combinations. Plant growth parameters and leaf Cr concentrations were recorded to find out the effect of anions on Cr dynamics in the plant. Increasing the concentration of Cl- ions in soil reduced the Cr concentration in both root and shoot. Similarly, increasing the concentration of S from 4 to 8 mM kg-1 also reduced the concentration and uptake of Cr. Application of sulfate ions augmented the plant growth and counters the negative effect of Cl- ions and Cr. Thus, the study revealed that the addition of S fertilizers could minimize the Cr toxicity in high Cr contaminated soils.

Thermophilic ligno-cellulolytic fungi: The future of efficient and rapid bio-waste management.

To accelerate the process of decomposition using consortia of thermophilic ligno-cellulolytic fungi, different crop residues viz. sorghum (SG), soybean (SS), maize (MS), sugarcane (SC), cotton (CS) and pigeon pea (PS) with a varied C:N ratio and sawdust (SD) having high lignin content were collected and used for decomposition process. Compost quality assessed by evaluating different maturity and stability indices at five succeeding stages [first mesophilic (M1), thermophilic (T), second mesophilic (M2), cooling (C) and humification (H)]. A significant reduction was observed in the C:N ratio, biodegradability index, nitrification index, ratio of water-soluble carbon to organic nitrogen (WSC/Org.N) with an increase in concomitant over time while Ash (%), organic matter loss (%), CEC/TOC ratio, cellulose biodegradation ratio (BR) and lignin/cellulose ratio were significantly increased with time. By correlation study, biodegradability index (BI) and fluorescein diacetate (FDA) hydrolysis emerged as the most suitable compost maturity and stability parameters, respectively. Principal component analysis (PCA) results confirmed that BI, BR, WSC/Org. N and FDA can be regarded as key indicators for assessing compost quality. Our findings conclude that fungal consortia of Tricoderma viride, Rhizomucor pusillus, Aspergillus awamori and Aspergillus flavus can accelerate decomposition time from 8 to 12 months (which is normal farming practice) to 120 days.

Impact of Long-Term Application of Sewage on Soil and Crop Quality in Vertisols of Central India.

Shortfall of rain and the decreased groundwater level force farmers to use poor quality water for crop production in developing countries. In this study, the quality of agricultural produce and soil health affected by sewage water (Patranala) irrigation was evaluated. Sewage sediment, soil and crop samples were analyzed for physico-chemical properties. Sewage water found to contain trace concentration of heavy metals. However, long-term application of this water for crop production could build up a significant amount of trace metals in both soil and sediments. The DTPA extractable heavy metals ranged Cu 2.7-7.59, Cd 0.04-0.06, Pb 1.29-2.05, Cr 0.01-0.04, Ni 0.24-1.03 and Zn 0.63-2.59 mg kg-1 soil. The heavy metal risk assessment (hazard quotient, HQ) was calculated and found that HQ for these metals in the crops under study was in safe limits. From the study, it is concluded that growing vegetables using sewage water of Patranala is safe, but periodic monitoring to be carried out to avoid food chain contamination.

Short communication: Effects of diets containing supplemental fats on ruminal fermentation and milk odd- and branched-chain fatty acids in dairy cows.

There is a growing interest in odd- and branched-chain fatty acids (OBCFA) in milk following reports that several branched-chain fatty acids (FA) have health promoting effects, and certain milk OBCFA could serve as a biomarker to assess ruminal function. Twenty-four Holstein cows were fed 3 low-forage diets containing 30 g/kg of dry matter of prilled palm fat (PPF), sunflower oil (SO), or an equal mixture of both fats (experiment 1) or 3 diets containing 30 g/kg of dry matter of SO with a forage-to-concentrate ratio of 39:61, 44:56, or 48:52 (Experiment 2); diets were fed to investigate milk OBCFA composition and to explore the relationships between ruminal VFA and milk OBCFA using principal component analysis. Including SO in diets decreased yields of milk 13:0 anteiso, 15:0 anteiso, 15:0, 17:0, cis-9 15:1, and cis-9 17:1 compared with PPF. The molar proportion of ruminal propionate was the lowest and the yields of milk 14:0 iso and 16:0 iso were the greatest with the diet containing both fat supplements. Replacing concentrate with forages linearly increased ruminal acetate and yields of milk 13:0 iso, 14:0 iso, 15:0 iso, 16:0 iso, 17:0 iso, 13:0 anteiso, 15:0 anteiso, 15:0, 17:0, cis-9 15:1, and cis-9 17:1. The principal component analysis revealed that ruminal molar proportion of acetate related to concentrations of milk iso FA containing <17-carbon, whereas ruminal propionate related to milk 15:0, 17:0, cis-9 15:1, and cis-9 17:1, with the stronger correlations between milk OBCFA and ruminal acetate than propionate. No associations were found between ruminal molar proportion of butyrate and milk OBCFA concentrations. The results suggest that complete replacement of PPF with SO at 30 g/kg of dry matter in low-forage diets is not an effective strategy to enhance bioactive branched-chain FA in milk, rather this feeding practice lowers anteiso FA in milk; however, increasing forage proportion in diets containing SO enhances several iso and anteiso FA in milk. The milk OBCFA concentrations have stronger correlations with ruminal acetate molar proportion than with propionate or butyrate in cows fed diets containing supplemental fats.

Carcass characteristics, chemical and fatty acid composition and oxidative stability of meat from broiler chickens fed black cumin (Nigella sativa) seeds.

A study was conducted to investigate the dietary supplementation of black cumin seeds (BCS) on carcass characteristics, chemical and fatty acid (FA) composition and antioxidant properties of thigh and breast meat of broiler chickens at 42 days of age. Three hundred sixty 1-day-old broiler chickens were allocated to five dietary treatment groups (each group containing eight replicate pens with each pen containing nine broiler chickens): basal diet (control; CON), CON + 0.05 g/kg of bacitracin methylene disalicylate (AB), CON + 5 g/kg of BCS (low dose of BCS), CON + 10 g/kg of BCS (medium dose of BCS) and CON + 20 g/kg of BCS (high dose of BCS). Weight (g) of slaughtered birds (p = .03), hot carcass (p = .007), breast (p = .03), thigh (p < .001), wing (p = .06), neck (p = .01), liver (p = .09), abdominal fat (p = .01) and total edible parts (p = .01) increased or tended to increase due to BCS supplementation compared with the CON. The concentrations of dry matter, crude protein and ether extract in chicken thigh and breast meat increased (p = .038 to <.001) with increasing doses of BCS in diets. The ferric reducing antioxidant activity in blood and meat increased linearly with increasing doses of BCS in the diets. However, peroxide values in meat were not affected by BCS and AB on both days 1 and 7 of storage at 4°C. Supplementation of BCS increased the concentrations of C14:1, C18:3n-6, C20:1, C20:2 FA and PUFA linearly (p < .05) and tended to increase (p = .098) the concentration of C18:2cis linearly. However, the concentrations of C16:0 and C16:1 FA decreased linearly with increasing doses of BCS in the diets. In conclusion, dietary supplementation of BCS at 20 g/kg diet may improve slaughter body weight, beneficial FA concentrations and antioxidant properties of broiler chicken meat.

Geo-Accumulation Indices of Heavy Metals in Soil and Groundwater of Kanpur, India Under Long Term Irrigation of Tannery Effluent.

Soil and groundwater from long-term (>50 years) tannery effluent irrigated areas of Kanpur were analyzed and significant buildup of heavy metals such as Cr, Ni, Cd, Pb, Zn, and As in the range of 252-972, 23-30, 2.3-14.1, 23.7-58.8, 138-338 and 6.8-11 mg kg-1, respectively in soil was found. Few groundwater samples in the effluent irrigated areas also exhibited high Cr concentration above the permissible limit of United States Environmental Protection Agency. The tannery effluents contained 1.53-57.3 ppm Cr, 0-0.12 ppm Ni, 0-0.02 ppm Cd, 0-0.07 ppm Pb, 0-0.48 ppm Zn and 0-0.03 ppm As. The Geo-accumulation index (Igeo) revealed that soil samples were unpolluted to moderately polluted with Cu, Ni, Zn, Pb and As; moderately polluted in case of Cd; and heavily to extremely polluted by Cr.

Acute renal failure in the ICU setting: A prospective observational study.

BACKGROUND: Acute renal failure (ARF) is a common entity in the intensive care unit (ICU) setting. There is scanty data regarding acute kidney injury (AKI) in ICUs from our country and no data from the service setting. METHODS: All patients admitted to the ICU of a tertiary care teaching hospital for six months were included in the study. They were divided into two groups: surg gr (admitted in surgical ICU) and med gr (admitted in medical ICU). During the stay in ICU, patients were observed for the development of AKI depending on the creatinine values and hourly urine output. Staging was done based upon the Risk Injury Failure Loss and End stage kidney (RIFLE) criteria. Relevant data associated with development of AKI was collected for correlation. RESULTS: 17.15% patients developed AKI after admission to the ICU 40% patients admitted with sepsis developed AKI. An increased susceptibility to develop AKI was found on day 4 of admission in both the groups. Of the patients who developed AKI, the surg gr of patients had a higher sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score both on day of admission (7.85 vs 5.65) and on the day of development of AKI (9.47 vs 6.18) as compared to the medical group. CONCLUSION: The incidence of ARF in our study was 17.2% with the patients of polytrauma/MODS being of major concern. The initial 3-4 days are the most critical and susceptible patients must be intensive monitored during this time for prevention of ARF. Medical ICU patients develop ARF at a low SOFA score in comparison to surgical ICU patients and thus need greater attention.