Proportion, Risk Factors and the Impact of Dysmenorrhea among Girls

Background: Dysmenorrhea is the leading cause of recurrent short-term school absence in adolescent girls and a common problem in women of reproductive age. There are many factors related to this disorder which include a younger age, low body mass index (BMI), smoking, early menarche, and prolonged menstrual flow. Objectives: (1) To find the proportion of dysmenorrhea among girls of a nursing college; (2) To find out the risk factors and impact of dysmenorrhea.Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from November 2011 to April 2012 at Nursing College, VIMS, Bellary, Karnataka. Data were collected by a pre-tested and pre-designed semi-structured pro forma. The study was performed on a total of 196 students who agreed to participate and present at the time of study. Analysis was done by using Epi-info version 3.4.3.Results: The average age of the study group was 19.3+1.8 years (range 17–30). Proportion of dysmenorrhea was found to be 77% and was significantly higher in females with positive family history of dysmenorrhea when compared to the others (P<0.05), who had early age of menarche, irregular cycle, increased amount of flow, gynecological problems and lack exercise had high rate of dysmenorrhea compared to others but statistically it was not significant. In this study, because of dysmenorrhea 20.5% had class absenteeism, 23.2% college absenteeism, 44.4% had poor concentration, 31.8% were depressed, 53% were irritable and 2.6% had suicidal tendencies.Conclusion and Recommendation: There was a high proportion of dysmenorrhea and also girls were very much worried about it. There is a need to educate them about causes, treatment and also to cope with stress at the time of menstrual cycle

Genotoxic and antibacterial nature of biofabricated zinc oxide nanoparticles from Sida rhombifolia linn

Phyto-assisted synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) has gained importance because of their stable and eco-friendly nature with significant biological properties compared to chemically synthesized NPs. In the present study biofabrication of ZnO-NPs were carried out using aqueous leaf extract of Sida rhombifolia Linn. The biofabricated ZnO-NPs showed an absorption peak at 307 nm and bandgap energy of 3.51 eV with an average size of similar to 30 nm. The XRD analysis revealed stiff narrow peaks confirming the particles were of no impurities, which were in agreement with EDS analysis. The biofabricated ZnO-NPs exhibited significant antibacterial activity with a MIC of 0.25 mg mL(-1) against E. coli, while it was 0.5 mg mL(-1) against B. subtilis and S. typhi. The live and dead cell analysis of the nanoparticles confirmed that the antibacterial activity was due to damage in the cell walls of the test pathogens. Further, the nanoparticles also offered significant antioxidant and genotoxic properties with an IC50 of 974.5 mu g mL(-1) and 548.4 mu g mL(-1), respectively

Impacts and Implications of MGNREGA on Labour Supply and Income Generation for Agriculture in Central Dry Zone of Karnataka

This study has evaluated the impact of MGNREGA on income generation and labour supply in agriculture in one of the districts in central dry zone of Karnataka. Results have shown that the number of days worked in a year with the implementation of MGNREGA programme has significantly increased to 201 days, reflecting 16 per cent increase. Regression analysis has revealed that gender, education and family size of the workers are the significant factors influencing the worker’s employment under the Program. The increase in income is to the tune of 9.04 per cent due to additional employment generated from MGNERGA. In the total income, the contribution of agriculture is the highest (63%), followed by non-agricultural income (29%) and MGNREGA income (8%). Implementation of MGNERGA works has led to labour scarcity to the tune of 53 per cent and 30 per cent for agriculture operations like weeding and sowing, respectively. There has been a decline in area for labour-intensive crops like tomato and ragi to the extent of 30 per cent due to MGNERGA implementatio

Genetic variability and association studies for seed yield and longevity with component traits in soybean [Glycine max (l.) Merill.]

The nature and extent of genetic variability and correlation coefficient for productivity traits like seed yield and longevity of 225 soybean genotypes were evaluated. Significant variability (5%) was recorded among genotypes for agronomic and seed quality parameters. Number of pods per plant (23.76%), test weight (21.61%), seed yield per plant (28.07%), final germination (36.7%), seed coat permeability (30.09%), electrical conductivity (40.09%) and germination reduction (40.03%) showed high phenotypic and genotypic coefficient of variation, heritability and genetic advance. The association studies revealed that, number of branches and pods per plant and test weight (g) showed positive and significant correlation with seed yield (g). Phenotypic and genotypic correlation for seed longevity was negatively correlated and significant with test weight (g), seed coat permeability (%) and electrical conductivity (dSm-1). Superior genotypes like PK 7379, PI 284815, PI 204336, CO-1 and JS 79-307 were identified with high seed yield (3041.67-3708.33 kg/ ha) and good longevity

Utilizing co-products of the sweet sorghum-based biofuel industry as livestock feed in decentralized systems

Sweet sorghum-based decentralized crushing and syrup-making units are a major component of sweet sorghum value chains in India. Apart from the main product, syrup, there are several co-products, including grain, bagasse, vinasse, steam, foam and froth. This chapter looks at the state of the art in utilization of these products in livestock feed, as well as exploring emerging opportunities. If the policy framework of the country supports decentralized models, this co-products utilization not only improves economic viability but also has environmental benefits by way of reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, which are yet to be quantified

Direct measurements of the effects of salt and surfactant on interaction forces between colloidal particles at water-oil interfaces

The forces between colloidal particles at a decane-water interface, in the presence of low concentrations of a monovalent salt (NaCl) and of the surfactant sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS) in the aqueous subphase, have been studied using laser tweezers. In the absence of electrolyte and surfactant, particle interactions exhibit a long-range repulsion, yet the variation of the interaction for different particle pairs is found to be considerable. Averaging over several particle pairs was hence found to be necessary to obtain reliable assessment of the effects of salt and surfactant. It has previously been suggested that the repulsion is consistent with electrostatic interactions between a small number of dissociated charges in the oil phase, leading to a decay with distance to the power -4 and an absence of any effect of electrolyte concentration. However, the present work demonstrates that increasing the electrolyte concentration does yield, on average, a reduction of the magnitude of the interaction force with electrolyte concentration. This implies that charges on the water side also contribute significantly to the electrostatic interactions. An increase in the concentration of SDS leads to a similar decrease of the interaction force. Moreover the repulsion at fixed SDS concentrations decreases over longer times. Finally, measurements of three-body interactions provide insight into the anisotropic nature of the interactions. The unique time-dependent and anisotropic interactions between particles at the oil-water interface allow tailoring of the aggregation kinetics and structure of the suspension structure.Comment: Submitted to Langmui

Policy Options for Promotion of Alternate Feedstocks for Ethanol Production in India: Sweet Sorghum for Ethanol Production

To ensure the long-term sustainability of bioethanol production in the semi-arid tropics of India this brief explores the option for augmenting bioethanol production using alternative feedstock like sweet sorghum grown in the drylands in addition to use of existing feedstocks. Policy options for the promotion of alternative feedstocks to sustain the bioethanol supply chain for the benefit of all stakeholders involved in the chain are highlighted and discusse

Sweet Sorghum: A Smart Crop to Meet the Demands of Food, Fodder, Fuel and Feed

At present, energy demand for transport in India is primarily met through non-renewable energy sources like fossil fuels. Being short in domestic production, India mainly depends on crude oil imports. In the near future oil imports are slated to rise further with no major breakthrough in domestic oil production. A compounding factor is the rise in the number of vehicles on the road, which has grown by 10 % each year between 2001 and 2006, and is expected to rise further. Against this backdrop, there is a renewed interest in energy augmentation through biofuel crops to meet the energy demand in the country. One such promising biofuel crop is sweet sorghum, whose sugar-rich stocks can be crushed to produce juice, then fermented into bio-ethanol, and used to make a blended fuel replacing conventional gasoline (Reddy et al. 2005). Sweet sorghum is a C4 plant with high photosynthetic efficiency. It produces a high biomass (up to 40-50 t ha-1) in a short time (4 months) under rain-fed conditions (Reddy, et al., 2005). One advantage of sweet sorghum compared to other crops is that using sweet sorghum for fuel does not reduce its contribution as food because the grain can be harvested for food, and the bagasse (the fiber left over after extraction of juice from sweet sorghum) that remains after the extraction of juice used for biofuel may be used for fodder (Nalini Kumari et al. 2011). Hence, sweet sorghum is a “smart” crop, which meets the triple requirements of food, fuel and fodde

Sweet Sorghum Stalk Supply Chain Management: Decentralized Crushing Cum-Syrup Making Unit Information Bulletin no. 90

In the climate of environmental concerns associated with fossil fuel use and the increased demand for energy in different counties, biofuel research and development has come to center stage. Sweet sorghum is a SMART crop with triple product benefits - food, feed and fuel. It is a good candidate for commercial ethanol production with potential opportunities for benefiting the poor dryland farmers through the emerging biofuel markets. Commercial ethanol production from sweet sorghum requires feedstock supplies for the long period of a year. ICRISAT (International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics) with Rusni distillery Pvt. Ltd. and other partners are working on supply chain management and addressing other issues in the sweet sorghum ethanol value chain. Principally, the sweet sorghum supply chain involves centralized and decentralized models. Under the centralized model, farmers supply the sweet sorghum stalks directly to the distillery, whereas in the decentralized model, farmers supply stalks to the Decentralized Crushing-Syrup Making Unit (DCU) located within the village where the crop is grown. The stalks are crushed at the DCU and the sweet juice is boiled to produce concentrated syrup that can be stored for more than 2 years at room temperature, and which is used for ethanol production, particularly in the off-season. This serves to augment the feedstock supply to the distillery. Use of the DCU for crushing and syrup production at the village level is a new idea and there is as yet no publication available on the requirements for establishment of a DCU and its management. In this bulletin, an attempt is made to briefly describe the experiences of ICRISAT and partners in the establishment and maintenance of a DCU, covering all the aspects from selection of site for its establishment, logistical requirements, plant and machinery, operation and management, economics of crushing sweet sorghum and its role in sweet sorghum supply chain managemen

Reproductive health and lifestyle factors associated with health-related quality of life among perinatally HIV-infected adolescents in Uganda

Background With increased survival of perinatally HIV - infected adolescents due to antiretroviral therapy (ART), the focus of HIV care has shifted to health-related quality of life (HRQoL) as a measure of disease progression, effects of ART co-morbidity and prognosis. We assessed factors associated with better HRQoL in perinatally HIV -infected adolescents in Uganda by determining the associations between sexual and reproductive health (SRH) or lifestyle experiences on HRQoL. Methods In a cross-sectional study, data on SRH, lifestyle experiences, socio demographic factors, communication with parents on sexuality and satisfaction of SRH services in ART clinics were collected from 614 HIV perinatally infected adolescents aged 10–19 using an interviewer-administered survey questionnaire. HRQoL data were collected using the Medical Outcomes Study HIV Health Survey instrument (MOS-HIV). Factors associated with better HRQoL were analysed using multiple logistic regression. Results The mean age was 16.2 ± 2.1 years, 362 (58.8 %) were females and 210 (34.2 %) were sexually active. Adolescents on ART were twice likely to present with better physical health (AOR = 2.07, 95 % CI: 1.24–3.46) and four times more likely to present with better mental health (AOR = 3.9, 95 % CI: 2.22–6.92) than those who were not on ART. There were no statistically significant associations between SRH (ever had sex, ever been pregnant, condom use, contraceptive use) or life style factors and physical health or mental health. Those with secondary or tertiary education were more likely to present with a better mental health (AOR = 5.3, 95 % CI: 1.86–15.41) compared those who had attained primary or no education. Participants who desired to have a child in future more likely (AOR 1.7, 95 % CI: 1.05–3.00) to present with a better mental health. Lack of communication with guardians on sexuality (AOR = 0.6, 95 % CI: 0.40–0.89), or dissatisfaction with SRH services (AOR 0.34, 95 % CI: 0.18–0.62) were associated with poorer mental health. Conclusion Among perinatally HIV-infected adolescents in Uganda, being on ART was associated with better physical and mental health while lack of communication with guardians on sexuality or dissatisfaction with SRH services was associated with poor mental health. Adolescents with pregnancy intentions were more likely to have a better mental health