The process of cutting agricultural materials stands as one of the pivotal operations, primarily employed in harvesting and threshing to achieve the necessary separation and subsequent fragmentation of plant components. Essential fodder preparation tasks such as straw chopping, baling, and mulching also heavily rely on cutting processes, demanding a substantial amount of energy. This article provides a comprehensive overview of research factors, operational parameters and crop properties that influence the performance of cutting mechanisms for agricultural crops, offering valuable insights to design engineers for crafting suitable incentives to adapt to crop variations.The velocity of cutting and the configuration of blades emerge as critical factors in crop harvesting. The proportion of energy consumption during crop harvesting and threshing ranges from 7.9 to 35.9 percent of the total operational energy expended. Cutting velocity and blade angles directly impact the power demands and efficiency of harvesting machinery. Optimizing these parameters can lead to energy savings during cutting while simultaneously enhancing cutting quality.Furthermore, energy consumption during cutting is closely linked to bending forces. Sharpness and blade material composition significantly influence wear resistance and durability, making it imperative to select appropriate materials that can sustain prolonged use in varying crop conditions. High power requirements are observed with blunt blades, resulting in inefficient cutting. Hence, this paper is expected to significantly aid design engineers, researchers, and other stakeholders in developing efficient cutting mechanisms for new machinery and tailoring cutting mechanisms to suit new species and varieties. It is anticipated that the findings of this study will contribute to the modification of existing harvesters as well.

Bacillus anthracis and Yersinia pestis are zoonotic bacteria serving as the etiological agents for anthrax and plague, respectively. Due to the rapidly progressing and lethal nature of anthrax and plague, fast and reliable detection is essential for effective disease control and management. Nucleic acid amplification-based approaches offer fast and sensitive pathogen detection. Isothermal amplification techniques (IAT) are being developed to address the limitations of the PCR-based nucleic acid amplification technology. Recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) is an IAT with low operating temperatures and fast turnaround time while maintaining specificity and sensitivity in easily accessible formats. This study focuses on developing a novel isothermal recombinase polymerase amplification assay combined with lateral-flow result read-out (RPA-LFD) for rapid and simultaneous detection of B. anthracis and Y. pestis under 25 min at 42 °C. The outcomes of the feasibility studies establish its real-world applicability for clinical diagnosis (blood) and also for environmental detection (soil and water) with detection limits comparable to real-time PCR. The absence of cross-reactivity and high sensitivities in different matrices demonstrates its significant potential for in-field, rapid, and reliable detection of biothreat agents in both biothreat and natural outbreak scenarios.

A field experiment was conducted during the Rabi season of 2024–25 at the Research Farm of Mewar University, Gangrar, Chittorgarh (Rajasthan), to assess the effect of various plant growth regulators (PGRs) and organic manures on the growth, yield, and quality of onion (Allium cepa L.), variety ‘Agrifound Light Red’. The experiment followed a factorial randomized block design with 16 treatment combinations involving four PGRs (Control, GA₃ @ 100 ppm, NAA @ 100 ppm, and CCC @ 100 ppm) and four organic manure types (Control, FYM @ 12 t/ha, Vermicompost @ 4.0 t/ha, and Poultry manure @ 2.5 t/ha), replicated thrice. The results indicated that the combination treatment P2-GA₃ @ 100 ppm + O4-Poultry manure @ 2.5 t/ha significantly outperformed other treatments in enhancing plant growth parameters such as plant height (up to 48.72 cm), number of leaves (7.16 per plant), and earliness in flowering (minimum 95.17 days to 50% flowering). Yield attributes including polar and equatorial bulb diameter (5.84 cm and 7.08 cm, respectively), neck thickness (1.62 cm), bulb weight (64.07 g), and yield (26.54 t/ha) were also highest under this treatment. Additionally, the same combination produced the best quality in terms of TSS (14.34 °Brix) and sulfur content (0.65%). These findings highlight the synergistic effects of gibberellic acid and poultry manure in promoting onion productivity and quality. The integration of organic manures with plant bioregulators can improve soil health and optimize physiological responses, making it a promising strategy for sustainable onion production under semi-arid conditions.

A symptom of reduced feed intake, conception and progressive emaciation was noticed in the Murrah buffalo farm of the institute with tail gangrene in some buffaloes and the sudden death of many animals. Thus, the objective of the study was for the systemic investigation to find out the causative agents and necessary ameliorative measures. The tail lesion includes alopecia, scales, necrosis, oedematous and a painful area. After thorough examination of the signs and symptoms of the disease, it was speculated that the case may be due to the presence of mycotoxins in the feeds offered to the animals. The severely affected buffaloes that died subjected to post-mortem examination demonstrated liver damage, nephritis and haemorrhages in all the vital organs. The analyses of offered feed revealed a high concentration of aflatoxin B1 content in maize, groundnut cake, cottonseed cake and compound feed mixtures. The case was typically diagnosed as the aflatoxicosis in water buffalo and ameliorative measures viz. the withdrawal of contaminated feeds, supplementation of toxin binder and penta-sulphate mixture in the feed taken sustained animal health and production performances. Severely affected animals with tail gangrene were treated with local disinfectants and antibiotics as well as systemic injection with broad-spectrum antibiotics and supportive vitamins and minerals to recover to their previous stage. Therefore, routine check-ups of feeds are of utmost importance to prevent feeding of aflatoxin-contaminated feeds. Systemic efforts viz. therapeutic management with topical medicines, broad-spectrum antibiotics, supportive therapies with vitamins and antioxidants along with replacement of contaminated feeds and inclusion of peta-sulphate mixture, and a toxin binder are effective in the prevention and control of aflatoxicosis in buffaloes.

At present, the base for seed potato production is the potato minitubers produced in protected ”insect-proof” spaces. For seed potatoes production it is essential to use a healthy and high-quality biological material, which contributes to obtaining superior productions, both quantitatively and qualitatively. In potato, to eradicate viruses and obtain a healthy initial material, we have at our disposal the technique of sampling and “in vitro” cultivation of meristems. In 2024, 11 potato varieties grown in greenhouses were evaluated. The minitubers derived from "in vitro" cultivated plants. Before micropropagation, the plantlets have been subjected to viral testing using the ELISA technique. Potato microplants used for "in vitro" multiplication were obtained from meristem cultures. Regarding the average number of minitubers/pot, the best results were obtained in Castrum (11.50), Ervant (10.80) and Sevastia (10.10) varieties. The best results in terms of the average weight of minitubers/plant were obtained in Brașovia (271.62 g), Darilena (270.13 g) and Ervant (258.87 g) varieties. The Brașovia and Darilena varieties also recorded the highest values ​​of the average weight of minitubers (53.2 g and 50.92 g, respectively). The highest percentage of minitubers >30 mm (60%) were found for Brașovia and Darilena varieties. Also, for Asinaria, Cosiana, Ervant, Foresta, Marvis and Sarmis varieties, the highest rate was recorded for minitubers in the size fraction 25-30 mm and >30 mm. By selecting appropriate varieties and managing them according to their specific needs, potato growers can enhance the efficiency of seed production systems and achieve higher yields in field multiplication stages.

e17130 Background: To explore whether the new 68 Ga-PSMA-PET/CT (Gallium-68 prostate-specific membrane antigen positron emission tomography-computed tomography) scan could be used as a single imaging modality over conventional imaging. Methods: This was a prospective study, conducted in a urology outpatient department, included 169 of 285 registered patients after obtaining informed consent. Patients who had biopsy-proven prostate adenocarcinoma, PSA (Prostate-specific antigen) ≥ 10 ng/ml, and Gleason Grade sum ≥ 7, were enrolled from July 2019 to May 2023. They underwent multiparametric MRI (mpMRI) Technetium 99m-methyl diphosphonate(99mTc-MDP) bone scan, and CT or ultrasound for conventional staging, followed by 68 Ga-PSMA-PET/CT. Furthermore, we evaluated the diagnostic efficacy, sensitivity, and specificity of 68 Ga-PSMA-PET/CT with conventional imaging. Results: The mean age of patients was 65.5 years, and the median serum PSA was 23.08 ng/ml. Most patients (147) were high-risk, and 22 were intermediate-risk. Among them, 90 underwent robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy. PSMAPET/CT showed statistically significant superiority in detecting regional lymph node invasion (37.8% vs 18.3%), non-regional lymph node invasion (17.2% vs 5.9%), and bony metastasis (23% vs 16.5%). It had comparable efficacy to conventional imaging for seminal vesicle involvement and visceral metastasis. PSMA PET/CT upstaged N and M status in 10.6 % and 8.8% of patients, respectively. In these 8.8% of cases, patients experienced an upward stage migration which led to shift in the treatment approach from curative to palliative intent for these patients. Conclusions: 68 Ga-PSMA-PET/CT is superior to conventional imaging methods and improves detection of regional lymph node, bone, and distant metastases, enhancing staging accuracy for prostate cancer.

An experimental investigation was conducted to study the flow characteristics and velocity fields of excited two parallel plane jets. The experiments were carried out at a jet Reynolds number of 200. A loudspeaker system was used to create the jets pulsation and to vary the intensity of jet pulsations at a constant excitation frequency of 40 Hz. A hot-wire anemometer was used to measure the velocities of the jets as they exited. The flow patterns were visualized using a laser-light sheet technique combined with smoke flow visualization. The jet spread widths were determined from images taken with a long-exposure method using binary edge detection. A particle image velocimetry measurement technique was used to render the flow field behaviors of the parallel jets. The introduction of jet pulsation by the speaker led to the roll-up of coherent vortices along the shear layers of the jets. These vortices became more prominent as the intensity of jet pulsations increased. These coherent vortices broke apart into turbulent eddies, resulting in wider jet spread with higher pulsation intensities. Two counter-rotating vortices were detected at the jet exit. These vortices moved closer to the jet exits as the jet pulsation intensity was increased. The intensity of turbulence and the presence of vortices were both influenced by the magnitude of the jet pulsation. Greater jet pulsation led to higher turbulence levels, a more pronounced vorticity field, and a more efficient transfer of momentum, consequently enhancing the mixing process.

A field experiment was conducted during Zaid (summer) season of 2023 at Crop Research Farm, Department of Agronomy. The treatments consisted of 3 levels of Sulphur (10, 20 and 30 kg/ha) and 3 levels of zinc (10kg/ha, 0.1% and 0.2% foliar application) and a control. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Block Design (RBD) with 10 treatment and replicated thrice. Application of Sulphur (30 kg/ha) + Zinc (10kg/ha) (treatment 9) recorded higher Plant height, higher plant dry weight, higher number of Pods/Plant, higher number of seeds/pod, higher test weight and higher seed yield. The (treatment 9) also recorded Maximum benefit cost ratio (2.41)

Abstract Background Melioidosis, caused by the category B biothreat agent Burkholderia pseudomallei, is a disease with a high mortality rate and requires an immediate culture-independent diagnosis for effective disease management. In this study, we developed a highly sensitive qPCR assay for specific detection of Burkholderia pseudomallei and melioidosis disease diagnosis based on a novel target sequence. Methods An extensive in-silico analysis was done to identify a novel and highly conserved sequence for developing a qPCR assay. The specificity of the developed assay was analyzed with 65 different bacterial cultures, and the analytical sensitivity of the assay was determined with the purified genomic DNA of B. pseudomallei. The applicability of the assay for B. pseudomallei detection in clinical and environmental matrices was evaluated by spiking B. pseudomallei cells in the blood, urine, soil, and water along with suitable internal controls. Results A novel 85-nucleotide-long sequence was identified using in-silico tools and employed for the development of the highly sensitive and specific quantitative real-time PCR assay S664. The assay S664 was found to be highly specific when evaluated with 65 different bacterial cultures related and non-related to B. pseudomallei. The assay was found to be highly sensitive, with a detection limit of 3 B. pseudomallei genome equivalent copies per qPCR reaction. The detection limit in clinical matrices was found to be 5 × 102 CFU/mL for both human blood and urine. In environmental matrices, the detection limit was found to be 5 × 101 CFU/mL of river water and 2 × 103 CFU/gm of paddy field soil. Conclusions The findings of the present study suggest that the developed assay S664 along with suitable internal controls has a huge diagnostic potential and can be successfully employed for specific, sensitive, and rapid molecular detection of B. pseudomallei in various clinical and environmental matrices.

The study introduced and evaluated two chickpea varieties, namely, BGM-547 and GNG-1581. Nutrient management plays a pivotal role that greatly affects the growth and yield of chickpea because this crop does not suit well to warm climate. The pulse cultivation has been drastically reducing in recent years mainly due to less and irregular precipitation during monsoon and reduction in winter days as this crop does not suit well to warm climate, resulting in shortage of pulses in the market. The chickpea has been most preferred pulse in Samastipur to be grown in rabi season. The present study was conducted to revive the chickpea cultivation employing new cultivars by KVK, Samastipur and carried out during rabi season in different blocks of the district during the years 2015-16, 2016-17 and 2017-18. The Cluster Front Line Demonstration on chickpea varieties, namely, BGM-547 and GNG-1581 were taken up during each year for 15, 33 and 18 clusters, respectively. These demonstrations recorded higher average grain yield (13.75, 14.60 and 14.40 q/ha) of chickpea as compared to average yield obtained from farmers' practice (12.5, 9.47 and 11.73 q/ha) computed to increase in yield by 9.09 %, 15.13% and 18.54 % during 2015-16, 2016-17 and 2017-18 respectively. Similarly, the benefit: cost ratio was 1.78, 2.11 and 2.08, respectively. The technology gap (q/ha), extension gap (q/ha) and technology index (%) were 6.25, 1.25 and 31.25 during 2015-16, 5.40, 5.13 and 27.00 were during 2016-17 and 9.60, 2.67 and 40.00 were 2017-18. The major differences observed between demonstration package and farmers' practices were introduction of seed treatment with bio-fertilizer, method and time of sowing, fertilizer doses and method of its application and plant protection measures. The significant increase in yield is attributed due to introduction of new varieties in cluster mode. This mode facilitates better crop management resulting in better quality production. The study recorded a significant increase in chickpea yield compared to the average yield obtained from traditional farmer practices. The percentage increase in yield (9.09%, 15.13%, and 18.54% for the respective year) demonstrates the efficacy of the new cultivars and cultivation practices introduced. The technology gap, extension gap, and technology index provide a quantitative assessment of the impact of introducing new varieties in cluster mode. These parameters highlight the effectiveness of the new technologies in narrowing the gaps between potential and actual yield.

Renal cell carcinoma is the most common malignant tumor involving the kidney. Approximately 20-50% of RCC patients with localised tumor progress to metastases. However, testicular metastases from renal cell carcinoma are an extremely rare entity. To the best our knowledge, there have been less than 50 reported cases of RCC metastasis to the testis. Here we report a case of testicular metastasis from renal cell carcinoma in a 70-year-old man 2 years post- nephrectomy and review some of the previously reported cases. Histopathological examination after surgical removal of this testicular mass confirmed the diagnosis of metastatic RCC. This report highlights the unique diagnostic and therapeutic challenges associated with such an entity. Keywords: Renal cell carcinoma, Testicular metastasis, Clear cell RCC, Metastatic RCC.

This study explores the effect of Williamson nanofluid in the presence of radiation and chemical reaction caused by stretching or shrinking a surface with convective boundary conditions. After implementing two-component model and Lie group theory, the transformed ODEs are solved using the Runge-Kutta Dormand-Prince (RKDP) shooting approach technique. The dual solutions are predicted for certain range of physical nanofluid parameters, such as Williamson parameter (0 > W-e > W-e,W-c), stretching/shrinking parameter (?(c) < ? < -1), and suction parameter (a(c) < a < 3) with different slip d(e) and magnetic M parameters. Contour plots are generated for the stable branch of the Nusselt number (Nu(r)) for different combinations, providing insights into the heat transfer characteristics. The eigenvalue problem is solved in order to predict flow stability. The optimization of heat transfer in nanoliquid is conducted by RSM-CCD. The resulting quadratic correlation enables the prediction of the optimal Nusselt number for H-s = -1.92207, Rd = 2.99844, and Nt = 0.100268. This investigation is motivated by various applications including manufacturing processes, thermal management systems, energy conversion devices, and other engineering systems where efficient heat transfer is crucial.

Energy crisis is a global issue in recent times. Meeting the energy requirements for daily cooking and heating in rural population using biomass as a fuel in traditional cookstoves (TCS) is an energy consuming and inefficient method. Moreover, the use of biomass in TCS causes serious health and environmental problems. TCS have very low efficiency and high fuel consumption. A kitchen performance test (KPT) was conducted in order to measure fuel wood consumption by TCS and improved cookstoves (ICS). Furthermore, the fuel wood consumption of the study area is also estimated. The fuel wood characteristics are determined by proximate and ultimate analysis. The KPT results show that ICS reduces fuel consumption by 0.16 kg/person/day. The ICS can also reduce 0.258 tonnes of CO$_{2}$ emissions per ICS user annually. Stove performance index shows that ICS uses 6% less fuel as compared to TCS. ICS also emits significantly less CO and PM emissions. The use of ICS would also possibly solve the environmental impacts of fuel wood collection and combustion.