Perception of and Adaption Capacities to Climate Change Adaption Strategies by the Rice Farmers: A Case of Rajshahi District in Bangladesh

This paper evaluates rice farmers’ perception and climatic variability using climate record. Adaptive capacities of rice farmers to climate change adaption strategies for the Rajshahi district were also identified. Forty two years of climate data on temperature and rainfall (1972-2013) from the Bangladesh Metrological Department (BMD) for Rajshahi weather station were collected and analyzed using non-parametric Mann-Kendall test. Questionnaire survey was conduct to understand farmers’ perception and adaptations in response to changing climate and variability. The results revealed that an increase in annual temperature of +0.04º C form 1972 to 2013 has be recorded for the Rajshahi district, Bangladesh, whereas annual rainfall has not exhibited any trend but Sen’s slope is negative for rainfall implies decreasing trend with time. The adaptive capacities of rice farmers were estimated quantitatively and categorized into high, moderate and low adaptive capacities. Result of adaptive capacities revealed that on the average the farmers’ interviewed are moderately adaptive to climate change. As high adaptive farmers obtain higher amount of rice therefore, the more a farmer has the ability to adjust to climate change, the more the amount of rice he or she obtain. Rice farmers should be empowered through better extension services in order to attain high adaptive capacity status so as to help them obtain more rice output. Keywords: Adaptive Capacities, Adaptive Strategies, Climate Change, Farmers’ perceptions, Rajshahi District, Bangladesh

Ethnic Preparation of Haria, a Rice-Based Fermented Beverage, in the Province of Lateritic West Bengal, India

Haria is a rice-based fermented beverage that is popular among tribal and low income people in lateritic West Bengal and East-Central India. The principal ingredient of this beverage is low grade boiled rice (Oryza sativa L.), which is mixed with a traditional starter, called bakhar, and fermented within a heat-sterilized earthen pot for 3-4 days. The main aim of this study was to investigate the ethnobotanical importance and traditional process of haria preparation. The method adopted for this study was based on interactive questionnaires and laboratory experiments. It was found that the pH decreased during the course of fermentation with increased titratable acidity of 1.42%. The alcohol content was 2-3% (v/v) in the consumable beverages. This documentation will be useful for further exploitation of haria as a health drink

Screening of antimicrobial peptides from hemolymph extract of tasar silkworm Antheraea mylitta against urinary tract and wound infecting multidrug-resistant bacteria

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are an evolutionarily conserved component of the innate immune response and they were found among all classes of life forms. In the present study AMPs were extracted from the hemolymph of Antheraea mylitta and fractionated by High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). Antimicrobial activity was tested against three clinically isolated multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria, such as urinary tract infecting Escherichia coli, wound infecting Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Bacillus pumilus. Fraction I (comprised of three different peptides of varying mass) did not inhibit the growth of any of these clinical isolates, whereas, fraction III inhibited the growth of B. pumilus without affecting the growth of gram-negative isolates. Fraction II exhibited bactericidal effects against P. aeruginosa and E. coli, whereas, B. pumilus was not susceptible. Scanning electron microscopic study revealed that serious structural alterations of cell morphology and disruption of the outer membrane, that facilitates the release of cytoplasmic content through holes and channels in E. coli, treated with this isolated peptide. Our results indicate that the peptide from the isolated fraction could be used as potent alternative antimicrobial compounds for the treatment of MDR E. coli andP. aeruginosa infections

Wernicke’s encephalopathy precipitated by neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder and Graves’ disease: A tale of clinical and radiological dilemmas

Background Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD), an autoimmune astrocytopathy, may share common clinico-radiological features with Wernicke's encephalopathy (WE). A variant of NMOSD, known as area postrema syndrome (APS), that presents with intractable hiccups and associated vomiting, might lead to the depletion of nutrients if not detected and treated early. Autoimmune thyroid disorders (i.e., Graves’ disease) may be associated with NMOSD. Rarely, thyrotoxicosis can give rise to thiamine depletion and WE. Case presentation Here, we present a case of untreated hyperthyroidism in an Indian female who presented with thyrotoxicosis and later developed WE, possibly also contributed by NMOSD (APS)-induced recurrent vomiting. The patient recovered with antithyroid drugs, parenteral thiamine, and immunomodulatory therapy. The possible pathogenic mechanisms have been discussed. Conclusion Our case establishes the importance of considering NMOSD variants in metabolic encephalopathy, especially if neuroimaging is suggestive and in the backdrop of another autoimmune disorder

Azimuthal anisotropy of charged jet production in root s(NN)=2.76 TeV Pb-Pb collisions

We present measurements of the azimuthal dependence of charged jet production in central and semi-central root s(NN) = 2.76 TeV Pb-Pb collisions with respect to the second harmonic event plane, quantified as nu(ch)(2) (jet). Jet finding is performed employing the anti-k(T) algorithm with a resolution parameter R = 0.2 using charged tracks from the ALICE tracking system. The contribution of the azimuthal anisotropy of the underlying event is taken into account event-by-event. The remaining (statistical) region-to-region fluctuations are removed on an ensemble basis by unfolding the jet spectra for different event plane orientations independently. Significant non-zero nu(ch)(2) (jet) is observed in semi-central collisions (30-50% centrality) for 20 <p(T)(ch) (jet) <90 GeV/c. The azimuthal dependence of the charged jet production is similar to the dependence observed for jets comprising both charged and neutral fragments, and compatible with measurements of the nu(2) of single charged particles at high p(T). Good agreement between the data and predictions from JEWEL, an event generator simulating parton shower evolution in the presence of a dense QCD medium, is found in semi-central collisions. (C) 2015 CERN for the benefit of the ALICE Collaboration. Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).Peer reviewe

Forward-central two-particle correlations in p-Pb collisions at root s(NN)=5.02 TeV

Two-particle angular correlations between trigger particles in the forward pseudorapidity range (2.5 2GeV/c. (C) 2015 CERN for the benefit of the ALICE Collaboration. Published by Elsevier B. V.Peer reviewe

Event-shape engineering for inclusive spectra and elliptic flow in Pb-Pb collisions at root(NN)-N-S=2.76 TeV

Peer reviewe

Pseudorapidity and transverse-momentum distributions of charged particles in proton-proton collisions at root s=13 TeV

The pseudorapidity (eta) and transverse-momentum (p(T)) distributions of charged particles produced in proton-proton collisions are measured at the centre-of-mass energy root s = 13 TeV. The pseudorapidity distribution in vertical bar eta vertical bar <1.8 is reported for inelastic events and for events with at least one charged particle in vertical bar eta vertical bar <1. The pseudorapidity density of charged particles produced in the pseudorapidity region vertical bar eta vertical bar <0.5 is 5.31 +/- 0.18 and 6.46 +/- 0.19 for the two event classes, respectively. The transverse-momentum distribution of charged particles is measured in the range 0.15 <p(T) <20 GeV/c and vertical bar eta vertical bar <0.8 for events with at least one charged particle in vertical bar eta vertical bar <1. The evolution of the transverse momentum spectra of charged particles is also investigated as a function of event multiplicity. The results are compared with calculations from PYTHIA and EPOS Monte Carlo generators. (C) 2015 CERN for the benefit of the ALICE Collaboration. Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).Peer reviewe

Elliptic flow of muons from heavy-flavour hadron decays at forward rapidity in Pb-Pb collisions at root s(NN)=2.76TeV

The elliptic flow, v(2), of muons from heavy-flavour hadron decays at forward rapidity (2.5 <y <4) is measured in Pb-Pb collisions at root s(NN)= 2.76TeVwith the ALICE detector at the LHC. The scalar product, two- and four-particle Q cumulants and Lee-Yang zeros methods are used. The dependence of the v(2) of muons from heavy-flavour hadron decays on the collision centrality, in the range 0-40%, and on transverse momentum, p(T), is studied in the interval 3 <p(T)<10 GeV/c. A positive v(2) is observed with the scalar product and two-particle Q cumulants in semi-central collisions (10-20% and 20-40% centrality classes) for the p(T) interval from 3 to about 5GeV/c with a significance larger than 3 sigma, based on the combination of statistical and systematic uncertainties. The v(2) magnitude tends to decrease towards more central collisions and with increasing pT. It becomes compatible with zero in the interval 6 <p(T)<10 GeV/c. The results are compared to models describing the interaction of heavy quarks and open heavy-flavour hadrons with the high-density medium formed in high-energy heavy-ion collisions. (C) 2015 CERN for the benefit of the ALICE Collaboration. Published by Elsevier B.V.Peer reviewe