Rajesh Varma
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5017 research outputs found
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Evaluation of the toxicity of aqueous extracts of Aframomum melegueta, Picralima nitida, and Garcinia cola in Wistar rats
No full textIn order to determine the risks to human health associated with the use of certain medicinal plants, including Aframomum melegueta, Garcinia kola and Picralima nitida in a preclinical evaluation of the resistance, a pool of these three aqueous extracts was given once daily for ten days by gavage in Wistar rats. Haematological and biochemical analyzes after oral administration revealed a decrease in certain hepatic biomarkers such as glucose, Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT), etc., and renal biomarkers such as urea, creatinine, and creatinine kinase); increase in certain biomarkers such as Aspartate Transaminase (AST), an indicator of kidney and liver capacity.</p
Pre-extension demonstration of bread wheat (Triticum aestivum. L) varieties at midlands of Guji zone, Southern Oromia, Ethiopia
No full textIn Ethiopia, wheat is a strategic crop to solve food insecurity. However, there is a lack of improved variety which can increase surplus production. Thus, demonstration and use of improved and new variety are important for producers. This demonstration aimed to evaluate the yield performance and profitability of the Adola 1 bread wheat variety. Adola 1 and the local variety were demonstrated on 10 m x 10 m during the 2021 production year in the midland districts of the Guji zone. Farmers were trained in wheat production. Interviews and measurements were taken to collect the data. The collected data were analyzed by descriptive, net income, and narrations. The result of the demonstration showed that Adola 1 variety gave a higher yield (36.41 qt/ha) than the local variety (23.21 qt/ha) in the Wadera district. The result of net income showed that Adola 1 variety gave more Net income (73266.79 ETB/ha) than the local variety (26830.71 ETB/ha). Production of the Adola 1 variety was more profitable than locally used varieties at Midland. The color of Adola 1 was preferred by farmers for market and household consumption purposes. Adola 1 was an early matured variety so it was preferred by farmers. Adola 1 was more easily threshed than the local variety in the Wadera district. Despite being affected by birds the early maturity of the Adola 1 variety was likened by experimental farmers. Farmers should use Adola 1 variety in their bread wheat production. For further promotion, the pre-scaling up of the Adola 1 variety should be conducted in the midland districts of the Guji zone. </p
Assessment of Root Rot Pathogens of Common Bean (Phaseolus Vulgaris L.) and Reaction of Genotypes to the Pathogens in West Hararghe Zone, Ethiopia
No full textCommon bean root rot caused by fungal pathogens is an important disease affecting common bean crops in Ethiopia. Information on pathogen identification, characterization, and management options is lacking for the Ethiopian bean production system. This study aimed to assess the major causal fungal pathogens and their management through host resistance methods. Initially, a field survey was conducted in three districts in 2016. It was cored forty-five (45) common bean fields. In the mean time, disease samples were collected for laboratory analyses. Secondly, pathogen identification and characterization were done in Laboratory at Haramaya University, followed by a pathogenicity test. Thirdly, a genotypic reaction was done on twenty common bean varieties by using four fungal genera (F. oxysporum, S. rolfsii, M. phaseolina, and R. solani) as experimental materials that were arranged in (CRD) design with three replications. Out of forty-five (45) common bean fields assessed 33 farms exhibited the disease. In the pathogenicity test, all the isolates were found pathogenic and showed a significant (p < 0.05) difference. In addition, the analysis of variance also showed that out of the tested twenty varieties, some released varieties (Dandesu, Tinike, SER-125, Dursitu, and Chorie), Chorie and (Dursitu, Chorie, Cranscope, Argene and SAB 632) showed highly significant at (p≤ 0.001) to Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. phaseoli, Sclerotium rolfsii, and Rhizoctonia solani while they didn’t exhibit any significant (p < 0.05) difference to Macrophomina phaseolina. In conclusion, those varieties showing resistance characters were recommended for growers. </p
Grouping behavior of African forest elephants (Loxodonta cyclotis): A significant habitat exploitation strategy in Mount Cameroon National Park, Southwest region, Cameroon
No full textWildlife grouping behavior is a significant survival strategy beneficial to all the group members. Migration to healthy food locations, defense from predators, mating, and social organization are some of the products of a well-established and organized grouping behavior of wildlife species such as elephants. Hence, the main objective of this study was to explore the grouping behavior of elephants on some ecological parameters in Mount Cameroon national park. Research data was collected within a period of four months by monitoring and observing elephant groups and their activities within their feeding ecology. Data collection was done during the first 15 days of each month and analyzed by Chi-square and correlation statistical models. In the study, elephant-group activity recorded a significance, X2 = 29.89 df = 8 p = 0.000, X2 = 12.95 df = 8 p < 0.05, and X2 = 11.801 df = 4 p = 0.019 on photo-period, atmospheric conditions, and habitat types respectively. The elephant groups also recorded a significant agreement, r = 0.061 p = 0.008, X2 = 17.35 df = 16 p < 0.05, and X2 = 27.62 df = 12 p = 0.006 on landscape, crop-farm, and crop-farm size estimate respectively. Additionally, elephant group activity recorded a significance, X2 = 18.39 df = 8 p = 0.018, r = 0.107 p < 0.05, X2 = 9.12 df = 8 p < 0.05, and X2 = 13.85 df = 8 p < 0.05 on farm destruction rate, farm destruction distance from human homes, elephant trails, and the crop-raided villages respectively. Group formation of elephants in the park is however reduced to smaller sizes probably due to the killing of elephants for human safety, a situation that could scare and cause some of the elephants to migrate to distant areas.</p
Security and privacy in federated learning: A survey
No full textFederated Learning (FL) allows multiple nodes without actually sharing data with other confidential nodes to retrain a common model. This is particularly relevant in healthcare applications, where data such as medical records are private and confidential. Although federated learning avoids the exchange of actual data, it still remains possible to fight protection on parameter values revealed in the training process or on a generated Machine Learning (ML) model. This study examines FL’s privacy and security concerns and deals with several issues related to privacy protection and safety when developing FL systems. In addition, we have detailed simulation results to illustrate the problems under discussion and potential solutions.</p
Human papillomavirus: What we know and what we doing?
No full textAim: In this study, it was aimed to determine the thoughts and attitudes of young adults about HPV and HPV vaccines.Methods: This study was planned as a cross-sectional study to determine the knowledge levels and attitudes of young people living in a settlement in the middle of Turkey about the HPV vaccine. The research was conducted with 870 young adults between 1-30 November 2022.Results: The average age of the young people participating in the study was 20.49 ± 2.15 years, 60.9% of them were male. 61% have not heard of the PAP-Smear test before, 51.3% do not know what HPV is, only 17.7% have HPV by vaccination, 8% have HPV vaccine, 24.75% 37.9% of them stated that they wanted to have the HPV vaccine and that the HPV vaccine should be free of charge.Conclusion: It was determined that the knowledge level of young adults about HPV and HPV vaccine, in general, was very low, only one out of four people wanted to be vaccinated against HPV, and the rate of vaccination was very low. Even if the vaccine is free in our country, it is thought that the vaccination rates will be low.</p
Toward understanding the roles of matrix metallopeptidase 1 in ovarian cancer
No full textOvarian Cancer (OC) is the leading cause of gynecologic cancer-related deaths worldwide. The leading risk factors for OC-related death are OC recurrence and the development of chemotherapy resistance. Investigation into molecular differences that distinguish primary from recurrent disease and the role of the tumor microenvironment (TME) in OC progression may help identify therapeutic targets. Gene expression microarray data comparisons between 21 primary and 21 recurrent OC specimens (16 matched pairs) showed significantly increased expression of Matrix Metallopeptidase 1 (MMP1) in the recurrent specimens (p = 0.03). We, therefore, investigated MMP1 expression regulation and how endogenous and exogenous MMP1 expression influences OC cell proliferation, migration/invasion and chemosensitivity. Both endogenous MMP1 knockdown and low levels of exogenous MMP1 increased cell proliferation of the OC cell line, CAOV2 (p < 0.01 and p < 0.001, respectively). Furthermore, CAOV2 cells cultured with low exogenous MMP1 exhibited increased invasion (p = 0.04 and p = 0.002, respectively, for two shRNA-conditioned mediums, shMMP1-1 or shMMP1-2) and faster migration by wound healing assay relative to controls without MMP1 knockdown. CAOV2 MMP1 knockdown cells were also more resistant than controls to carboplatin (p = 0.04) and paclitaxel (p = 0.017). To explore the functions of cancer environmental MMP1 in different cancer cells, 3 OC cell lines (CAOV2, HEYA8 and SKOV3) were tested for their proliferation when cultured under a low MMP1 conditioned medium. Interestingly, while the proliferation was increased in CAOV2 and HEYA8 cells, it was reduced when SKOV3 OC cells were cultured with low exogenous MMP1 (CAOV2: * p = 0.01, HEYA8: **** p = 0.0004, SKOV3: ** p = 0.002). These results likely reflect inherent MMP1 expression variability in OC tissues and cell lines that is at least partly dependent on other endogenous parameters of the TME, including pH, metabolic state, and oxygenation, all of which were found to alter levels of endogenous MMP1. Given the ability of MMP1 to promote oncogenic or tumor-suppressive behaviors, further study will be necessary to better understand how MMP1 contributes to promoting or restraining tumor progression in an individualized manner.</p
Use limitation on soil water resource by red plum apricot
No full textSince 1995, the yield, benefits, and plantation area of red plum apricot have increased dramatically. But as red plum apricot trees’ canopy and roots grew, soil drying appeared and sometimes become severe in a wet year. The severe soil drying influence the yield, quality and benefits of red plum apricot because precipitation is small and with a big season change. At this time, the plant-water relationship has to be regulated on Soil Water Resource Use Limitation by Plant and Soil Moisture Vegetation Carrying Capacity. However, there are few studies on the utilization limit of soil water resources by red plum apricot forest land. In this study, daily precipitation, and soil water suctions at different soil water content are measured, and the maximal infiltration depth and the soil water resource use limitation by red plum apricot were estimated. The results show that wilting coefficient varies with soil depth from 7.98 in surface soil to 7.1% in 240 cm soil depth, the maximal infiltration depth is 290 cm and the Use Limit of Soil Water Resources by red plum apricot is 212.7 mm. When the soil water resource in the maximal infiltration depth is lower than the limit, the regulation of the plant-water relationship must be considered. </p
The sensitivity of food security to agricultural input subsidies in Uganda
No full textThe agricultural sector plays a crucial role in addressing food insecurity and malnutrition in developing countries, and smallholder farmers are significant contributors to food production. In Uganda, the National Agricultural Advisory Services (NAADS) program was initiated in 2001 to provide extension services and agricultural input subsidies to farmers. However, the program has faced criticism for its high levels of corruption, militarization, and political influence, as well as for its failure to reach its intended beneficiaries, and smallholder farmers. This paper aims to examine the contribution of smallholder farmers to food security and its sensitivity to agricultural input subsidies in Uganda, with a focus on the NAADS program. Additionally, it covers the evolution of agricultural input subsidy policy in Uganda from 1987 to the present and analyses the findings on the impact of these subsidies on smallholder farmer productivity and food security. The findings conclude that the NAADS program contributes less to the target beneficiaries, and its priorities do not align with the set goals. The study further suggests several recommendations for improving the program and addressing the issues facing smallholder farmers in Uganda.</p
The effect of mercury ions on the metabolic activity of Poecilia Reticulata cells
No full textAmong anthropogenic factors polluting ecosystems and affecting living organisms, mercury, and its compounds are the most toxic. In this study, we investigated the effect of mercury ions on freshwater live-bearing fish Poecilia reticulata. The cytotoxicity of mercury was analyzed on Poecilia reticulata fry using the MTT test. Studies have shown that small concentrations of mercury can have a stimulating effect on the metabolic activity of fish cells, but at high concentrations, the mercury had a depressing effect.</p