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An experiment was conducted on ridge gourd in six generations i.e., P1, P2, F1, F2, BC1 and BC2 of VRG-24 x VRG-13 and Swarna Manjari x Arka Prasan in Randomized Block Design with three replications. The main aim of the study was to investigate the genetic mechanisms controlling yield and quality traits through generation mean analysis. Epistatic gene effects were found to play a crucial role in regulating most of the traits studied, except for days to male flowering, days to female flowering, node of first female flower, average fruit weight, and rind thickness in various crosses. Duplicate epistasis was particularly prominent across the majority of traits, suggesting that these traits could be effectively exploited through heterosis breeding and reciprocal recurrent selection strategies. Additionally, complementary epistasis was observed in the cross VRG-24 x VRG-13 for traits such as node of first female flower, number of female flowers per vine, and number of fruits per vine. This highlights the potential of the VRG-24 x VRG-13 cross to produce desirable transgressive segregants with enhanced trait combinations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tractor operated implements are attached to the tractor at its rear side. Regular monitoring of these working implements working is not easy as envisaged by others who are not tractor operators. The tractor operator needs to adopt uncomfortable posture as well turns his neck backward for monitoring of the working implements which results in muscular pain and fatigue of the tractor operator. As a solution to this issue, a camera based rear mounted implement monitoring system was developed and evaluated. Drudgery reduction which form part of the performance indices was analyzed in terms of heart rate and SpO2 level. The amount of oxygen present in the operator's blood along with heart rate was measured using a pulse oximeter. The amount of SpO2 before and after monitoring the rear mounted implement was measured carefully at every 2 minute interval. While amount of SpO2 after installing rear mounted implement monitoring system was also measured and compared with the values obtained earlier. Test results of the study revealed that there was a significant difference in heart rate as well as SpO2 level measured with and without the camera monitoring system. The tractor operator feels comfortable after installing the system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Even though women are capable of carrying out all the works that men can do but there are some certain high physiological cost demanding physical works in the agricultural field that need to be carried out by men only. It is strange to know that women are facing difficulties in carrying out farm mechanization works. The survey conducted using the structured interview schedule gave an insight into the constraints faced by women agricultural workers. Workers were asked to rank the predetermined constraint which was evaluated using the Garrett's ranking method. It was evident from the results obtained that lack of awareness about the machines and its controls together with lack of training and extension services prevented the women workers from benefiting from mechanization. Also, financial dependence, gender gap, difficulty in operating machines and exclusion from power and decision making were ranked 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th by the workers, respectively. The women workers were also worried about the technical knowhow of the machines as most machines required frequent troubleshooting and maintenance. The comparison made on the anthropometric data showed that out of the twenty six anthropometric parameters involved just ten parameters viz. buttock popliteal height, elbow rest height, wall to acromion, shoulder grip length, thigh clearance sitting, hip breadth sitting, grip diameter, grip span and span akimbo have higher values for female workers than that of the male workers. The exerting force required to operate machinery controls were significantly different. Hence there was urgent need to develop women friendly designs that will suit women anthropometric measurements which will be incorporated into the machines so as to make Indian women workers or operators comfortable with the use of agricultural machines and tractors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thin (40–150 nm), highly doped n+ (1019–1020 cm−3) Ga2O3 layers deposited using pulsed laser deposition (PLD) were incorporated into Ti/Au ohmic contacts on (001) and (010) β-Ga2O3 substrates with carrier concentrations between 2.5 and 5.1 × 1018 cm−3. Specific contact resistivity values were calculated for contact structures both without and with a PLD layer having different thicknesses up to 150 nm. With the exception of a 40 nm PLD layer on the (001) substrate, the specific contact resistivity values decreased with increasing PLD layer thickness: up to 8× on (001) Ga2O3 and up to 16× on (010) Ga2O3 compared with samples without a PLD layer. The lowest average specific contact resistivities were achieved with 150 nm PLD layers: 3.48 × 10−5 Ω cm2 on (001) Ga2O3 and 4.79 × 10−5 Ω cm2 on (010) Ga2O3. Cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy images revealed differences in the microstructure and morphology of the PLD layers on the different substrate orientations. This study describes a low-temperature process that could be used to reduce the contact resistance in Ga2O3 devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rare-earth zirconate (REZ) pyrochlores, specifically (La,Gd)2Zr2O7, are promising alternatives to substitute 7YSZ in thermal barrier coatings (TBC) due to their increased phase stability and resistance to calcium-magnesium-aluminosilicate (CMAS)-based damage at high temperatures. This work analyses the reaction products of isothermal treatments at 1250°C of (LaxGd1−x)2Zr2O7 powder mixtures in reaction with natural volcanic ashes (VAs) with different chemical compositions (Popocatepetl, Colima, and Eyjafjallajökull). The chemical composition in the (LaxGd1−x)2Zr2O7 system showed a strong influence on the formation of reprecipitation products (Zr,Gd,La oxides), reactive crystallization products (La-Gd apatites, lanthanum silicates, zirconolite, and garnets), and intrinsic crystallization products (hematite-like structures). The formation of garnets, which enhances the mitigation effect against molten VAs/Si deposit damage, was observed more promptly on (La0.5Gd0.5)2Zr2O7 promoted by high contents of Fe, Ca, Ti, and Mg on VAs. Thus, the (La0.5Gd0.5)2Zr2O7 system stands as a possible candidate to overcome today's threats for the integrity of current TBCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on the microstructure, dopant-induced changes in the chemical bonding, and electronic structure, chemical valence states of cations in Sn-incorporated gallium oxide (Ga2O3). Spectroscopic characterization of Sn-mixed Ga2O3 compounds (Ga2−2xSnxO3, 0.00 ≤ x ≤ 0.3, Ga–Sn–O), which were produced by the high-temperature solid-state chemical reaction method, indicates that the Sn-mixing-induced changes in the microstructure and electronic structure are significant. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic (XPS) analyses, which considered the Ga 2p doublet (Ga 2p3/2 and Ga 2p1/2 peaks), indicate that the Ga exists in its highest chemical valence state (Ga3+) in all of the samples, irrespective of Sn-content. The evolution of Sn peaks in XPS data indicates progressive increase in the Sn-content in Ga–Sn–O samples as x increases from 0.0 to 0.3. However, while no significant changes are seen in the Ga chemistry, formation of SnO2 secondary phase was evident, especially with increasing Sn-concentration. The XPS data confirm the Sn4+ chemical valence state of Sn-ions in all of the Ga–Sn–O samples. The energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopic (EDS) mapping analyses reveal the localization of SnO2 secondary phase in the parent matrix of Ga2O3. Combined EDS and XPS analyses indicate the secondary phase (SnO2) formation becomes dominant for higher Sn-content. Corroborated with chemical analyses made by EDS and XPS, the Fourier infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic analyses also reveal the evolution of Sn–O bonds, which is reflected in the shift for the high-frequency stretching and bending of the GaO4 tetrahedra, which structurally form the β-Ga2O3 phase. The detailed analysis of the FTIR data and peak evolution suggests a stronger interaction of Sn with Ga2O3 for x ≥ 0.15. A correlation between composition, crystal chemistry, and electronic properties is established in Ga–Sn–O compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research has been conducted on tetraethylmethane and analogous C(CH (sub)2 X) (sub)4 compounds. The variable-temperature NMR studies of these compounds have revealed their dynamic behavior.

The effect of transition metal (TM) ion mixing on the crystal structure, surface morphology, microstructure, and optical properties of gallium oxide (Ga2O3) have been reported. The polycrystalline TM-mixed Ga2O3 (referred to TMGO; TM = Fe, Ti, W) materials were synthesized via a conventional, high-temperature solid-state chemical reaction method. The detailed investigation based on x-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and optical absorption measurements indicates the effect of Fe, Ti, and W incorporation on the structural and optical properties of Ga2O3. The marked difference in the mixing of various TM-ions (Fe3+, Ti4+, and W6+) is strongly reflected in the solubility limit of the respective TM-ions. For the constant amount of TM-ion alloying/mixing, no secondary phase formation occurs with Fe or W, while TiO2 secondary phase formation occurs for Ti. The optical band gap (~ 4.6 eV) of intrinsic Ga2O3 reduces significantly with Fe as compared to that of W and Ti. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]