416 research outputs found
Study of taste genetics and maternal factors on weight status in preschool children:
No full textGenetic and environmental factors are important determinants of food intake and weight status children. Our laboratory has previously shown that weight status in high SES, Caucasian children is influenced by maternal eating attitudes (dietary restraint & disinhibition), child feeding practices and genetic taste sensitivity to 6-n-propylthiouracil (PROP) a trait that is controlled, in part, by the bitter taste receptor gene, TAS2R38 (Keller, 2004; Goldstein, 2007). The present study was undertaken to determine if these same or related factors play a role in lunchtime energy intake and adiposity in a cohort of low-income, Hispanic children at risk for overweight. A total of 78 children (51.8 ±0.6 mo; 82± 2.0 BMI%-ile) and their mothers (BMI 27.2± 0.6kg/m2) from a local “Head-Start” preschool participated. PROP status was measured in both mothers and children. Mothers completed the Child Feeding Questionnaire and the Dutch Eating Questionnaire for restraint, external and emotional eating. Children’s food intake at lunch, were recorded during two observations on separate days at the preschool. Results showed that overweight children (>85th BMI%-ile) of mothers who were overweight themselves (p<0.0001), who had high dietary restraint (p<0.01) or who reported using a less restrictive feeding style (p<0.05) consumed more energy at lunch than overweight children whose mothers did no display these characteristics. BMI-z score was highest in PROP non-taster children of mothers with high dietary restraint (2.02) as compared to any of the other groups (0.97-1.31; p<0.02). Hierarchical regression predicted 41.7% of the variance in BMI-z scores. Key steps in this model included: main effects (gender, child taster status and perceived weight of child; 18% variance); child energy intake at lunch (16% variance); maternal/child variables (perceived responsibility, pressure to eat and child food reactivity; 3.4% variance); and the interaction of maternal restraint and child taster status (5.84% variance). This study identified maternal and genetic factors associated with higher energy intakes and greater risk of overweight in Hispanic children. A better understanding of these variables lead to more effective weight management programs to tackle obesity within in this community.M.S.Includes bibliographical references (p. 99-112)by Poornima Shanka
Glanzmann′s thrombasthenia associated with HBsAg-positive child: A case report
No full textGlanzmann′s thrombasthenia is a rare hemorrhagic disorder characterized by prolonged bleeding time and diminished clot retraction. The disease is marked by frequent mucocutaneous hemorrhage which is mainly due to qualitative defects of platelets. A case of a 14-year-old HBsAg-positive adolescent male with Glanzmann′s thrombasthenia has been presented
Evaluation of different China aster (Callistephus chinensis L. Nees) genotypes in the Terai region of West Bengal
No full textThe experiment was laid out in Randomized Completely Block Design with three replications. Sixteen genotypes namely, Arka Poornima, Arka Archana, Arka Aadya, Arka Kamini, Arka Shashank, Phule Ganesh White, Phule Ganesh Pink, Phule Ganesh Purple, Phule Ganesh Light pink, Pink Cushion, Arabhavi Aster Collection-1 (AAC-1), Namadhari Pink, Selected line (L-76), Selected line (L-179), Selected line (L-179/1) and Selected line (L-56) have been collected from IIHR, Hessaraghata Lake, Bengaluru, Karnataka for the trial.The different morphological, phenological as well as floral traits have been collected during the crop period which showed significant variation among the evaluated China aster genotypes. The maximum number of flowers per plant was recorded in ‘Arka Aadya’ (71.40) and ‘Arka Shashank’ (66.27) statistically at par with ‘Arka Aadya’ and the highest vase life as cut flower was noticed in Arka Shashank (11.67 days). Flower diameter was maximum in Phule Ganesh White (8.29 cm) which was at par with Arka Poornima (6.92 cm) and Phule Ganesh Purple (6.53 cm). Among the all genotypes, the maximum weight of ten fresh flowers were observed in Arka Poornima (54.17 g) which was statistically at par with Phule Ganesh White (53.61 g). These characters are considered to be very important with respect to commercial value of the variety for fulfil the consumers demand. The genotypes Arka Poornima, Phule Ganesh White, Arka Shashank, Arka Kamini and Arka Aadya may be recommended for commercial cultivation as loose flowers as well as cut flowers in the Terai region of West Bengal.
An innovative machine learning optimization-based data fusion strategy for distributed wireless sensor networks
No full textSelf-sufficient sensors scattered over different regions of the world comprise distributed wireless sensor networks (DWSNs), which track a range of environmental and physical factors such as pressure, temperature, vibration, sound, motion, and pollution. The use of data fusion becomes essential for combining information from various sensors and system performance. In this study, we suggested the multi-class support vector machine (SDF-MCSVM) with synthetic minority over-sampling techniques (SMOTE) data fusion for wireless sensor network (WSN) performance. The dataset includes 1,334 instances of hourly averaged answers for 12 variables from an AIR quality chemical multisensor device. To create a balanced dataset, the unbalanced data was first pre-processed using the SMOTE. The grey wolf optimization (GWO) approach is then used to reduce features in an effort to improve the efficacy and efficiency of feature selection procedures. This method is applied to classify the fused feature vectors into multiple categories at once to improve classification performance in WSNs and address unbalance datasets. The result shows the proposed method reaches high precision, accuracy, F1-score, recall, and specificity. The computational complexity and processing time were decreased in the study by using the proposed method. This is great potential for accurate and timely data fusion in dispersed WSNs with the successful integration of data fusion technologies
Ricci solitons on para-Kähler manifolds
No full textThe main purpose of the paper is to study the nature of Ricci soliton on para-Kähler manifolds satisfying some certain curvature conditions. In particular, if we consider certain pseudosymmetric and parallel symmetric tensor on para-Kähler manifolds we prove that V is solenoidal if and only if it is shrinking or steady or expanding depending upon the sign of scalar curvature for dimension M > 4, where (g; V; λ) be a Ricci soliton in a paraholomorphic projectively, pseudosymmetric para-Kähler manifolds. Moreover, we obtain some results related to the quasi-conformal curvature tensor on such manifolds.peerReviewe
Consumers’ Attitudes towards Surcharges on Distributed Renewable Energy Generation and Energy Efficiency Programs
No full textabstract: Increasing penetration of energy efficiency programs and distributed renewable energy generation has imposed significant challenges for utilities to recoup their large upfront costs. There is a heated debate on what surcharges should be implemented to help the utilities recover their fixed costs; however, very few studies focus on consumers’ attitudes regarding this topic. This study surveys about 190 residential consumers throughout the United States in November 2015, investigating their preferences and attitudes towards extra demand charges and volumetric energy price increases. We apply probit models and regress consumers’ attitudes on selected socio-demographic and behavioral variables. The results indicate the homeowners are more likely to prefer demand charges when compared to renters. The demographic and behavioral factors impact consumers’ perception of bill savings from energy efficiency programs or solar panel installation and also influence how consumers perceive the fairness of utilities recovering revenue losses by increasing volumetric energy price. In this paper, we demonstrate there is preference heterogeneity among consumers and that policy makers should be aware of such preference heterogeneity and apply policy targeting based on the identified demographics and behavioral factors impacting consumer preferences.The final version of this article, as published in Sustainability, can be viewed online at: http://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/9/8/147
Screening of China Aster [Callistephus chinensis (L.)] Genotypes and F1 Hybrids against Alternaria Leaf Spot Disease
No full textLeaf spot disease caused by Alternaria alternata (Fr.) Keissler is a threat of China aster cultivation and is capable of causing yield losses in all production regions. The experiment was undertaken to screen genotypes and F1 hybrids which would be helpful in developing Alternaria leaf spot resistance varieties in later years. AAC-1 was found to be resistant against Alternaria leaf spot in both field and control conditions. In natural disease pressure, Arka Kamini, Arka Shashank and Arka Poornima recorded to be moderately susceptible, susceptible and highly susceptible to Alternaria leaf spot, respectively. However, in artificially inoculated condition, Arka Kamini showed susceptible reaction. Among F1 hybrids, AAC-1 x Arka Kamini and Arka Kamini x AAC-1 showed moderately resistant reaction; AAC-1 x Arka Poornima, AAC-1 x Arka Shashank, Arka Poornima x AAC-1, Arka Shashank x AAC-1 showed moderately susceptible disease reaction for Alternaria leaf spot
Integrating waste pickers into municipal solid waste management in Pune, India
No full textCHIKARMANE, Poornima. Integrating waste pickers into municipal solid waste management in Pune, India. in WIEGO Policy brief, n°8, july 2012 Abstract by the author : "No person should have to be immersed in solid waste for their livelihood, yet every day hundreds of thousands of informal waste pickers in India and across the developing world scrabble through rubbish heaps in the streets, dumping grounds and landfills to recover recyclables in order to earn a living. Their continuing presen..
Evaluation of phytonutrients and vitamin contents in a wild yam, dioscorea belophylla (Prain) haines
No full textThe species studied was found to contain bioactive compounds comprising saponins (18.46 mg 100(-1) g), alkaloids (0.68 mg 100(-1) g), flavonoids (8.84 mg 100(-1) g), tannins (4.2 x 10(2) mg 100(-1) g) and phenols (2.8 x 10(3) mg 100(-1) g). This yam contained vitamins such as ascorbic acid, riboflavin and thiamin. The importance of these chemical constituents is discussed with respect to the role of this Dioscorea species in herbal medicine
Interactions between Formosan subterranean termites, brown rot fungus (Gloeophyllum trabeum) and some of the fungi present on the termite integument and gut
No full textAlthough the brown rot fungus, Gloeophyllum trabeum (Pers.:Fr.) Murrill, has been shown to be attractive and beneficial to subterranean termites, including Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki, to date no research has been conducted to determine if the association is mutualistic. We first set out to determine if the fungus could be spread by termites. This would represent an obvious benefit to the fungus. We found that C. formosanus does not spread G. trabeum. Unexpectedly, Formosan subterranean termites were found to suppress the growth of G. trabeum. To further investigate this finding, Formosan subterranean termite workers were released into Petri dishes with wood chips inoculated with G. trabeum. To serve as controls, an equal number of Petri dishes received all components as above but without termites. Growth of G. trabeum was measured on the 6th day of incubation and a significant suppression of fungus growth was observed in treatments with termites. In follow up studies G. trabeum inoculated wood chips were placed on to potato dextrose yeast agar medium and measured for G. trabeum growth after 7 days. G. trabeum did not grow but, many green-spored fungi were predominant in all the cultures. We hypothesized that these green-spored fungi may be carried on or in the body of C. formosanus and were the cause of the observed G. trabeum suppression. Dual culture tests of fungi isolated from the external surface of Formosan subterranean termites showed that several isolates were parasites and/or antagonists and effectively controlled the growth of G. trabeum. These fungi included Aspergillus flavus Link, Trichoderma harzianum Rifai, Trichoderma virens (Miller et al.), Trichoderma asperellum Samuels, Lieckfeldt & Nirenberg and Trichoderma ghanense Y. Doi, Y. Abe & J. Sugiyama. In the intestinal tracts of C. formosanus a different complex of fungi were present, some of which were antagonistic to G. trabeum. Aspergillus flavus, Hypocrea virens Chavarri, Samuels and Steward, T. asperellum, along with Penicillium janthinellum Biourge and Cladosporium cladosporioides (Fres.) de Vries were the fungi isolated from the guts. A. flavus was commonly isolated from external surface and gut of laboratory maintained termite colonies when compared to freshly collected field termite colonies. When these fungi were tested against C. formosanus, only A. flavus was found to be toxic to termites. Our study is the first to show that fungi present on the termite exoskeleton control the growth of a competing cellulose consumer, G. trabeum
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