Synthesis and Optical Absorption Properties of Copper Oxide Nanoparticles for Applications in Transparent Surface Coatings and Solar Cells

A simple wet chemical method has been successfully deployed to synthesize CuO nanoparticles (NPs) by using copper chloride and lithium hydroxide as the precursors. X-ray diffraction study revealed that the synthesized CuO is highly crystalline and pure. The synthesized CuO NPs has very high transparency in the visible region of wavelength. The band gap of the CuO NPs was found to be 1.54 eV

Medical Entomology

140 hal,;ill,;21 c

Dengue serosurveillance in Kolkata, facing an epidemic in West Bengal, India

Background & objectives: A dengue outbreak occurred throughout West Bengal, India startingfrom August 2005. The objectives of this study were: (i) documentation of suspected cases, confirmedby MAC ELISA; (ii) a longitudinal serosurveillance of dengue in Kolkata by detecting denguespecificIgG and IgM antibodies in suspected cases and to note the seasonal incidence; (iii) to getinformation about proportion of primary, secondary and old dengue cases and persons free fromdengue in the population tested; and (iv) to get some idea to forecast advent of dengue and dengueepidemic/precipitation of DHF.Methods: The epidemiological data were collected from different sources including Calcutta Schoolof Tropical Medicine and Government of West Bengal. For serosurveillance in Kolkata, serum ofeach suspected patient was examined for detection of IgG and IgM antibodies using the microwellELISA dengue fever kit.Results: Altogether, 6293 ELISA IgM reactive cases were documented out of 12,059 persons(52.18%) tested in the whole of West Bengal, involving 18 districts with 34 deaths. Serosurveillanceof 1668 persons from August 2005 to December 2007 in Kolkata showed that only 18.1% (302)suffered from dengue, 6.03% (101) from primary, 12.03% (201) from secondary dengue, 20.44%(341) were not sufferers of dengue and 61.45% (1025) were old dengue cases. Though stray denguecases were found perennially, most of the cases occurred in the post-monsoon season, with a peakin September. Of dengue patients, 63.24% (191) were males. Secondary dengue cases outnumberedprimary dengue cases. So, possibility of DHF would remain in all age groups and in those personswho suffered from dengue on earlier occasion. Dengue cases drastically reduced in two subsequentpost-epidemic years (2006 and 2007).Interpretation & conclusion: Dengue serosurveillance studies may give some idea about advent,intensity, transmission season, seasonal incidence, waxing and warning, and impending epidemicof dengue and DHF. A large-scale active longitudinal serosurvey along with the study of vectorcapacity and vector competence would provide more correct information

Medical entomology

+140hlm.;24c

Adverse affects of kala-azar (visceral leishmaniasis) in women

In IDL-1605

Not Available

Not AvailableVertisols occur extensively in central India and have high production potentials. Because of the high clay content (40-60% or more), high bulk density (1.5-1.8 Mg m-3) and related properties, these soils have high moisture storage capacity. Conversely, these soils become very hard when dry and very sticky when wet. Since last two decades, scientists, farmers and also the policy makers have been striving to manage these soils through harnessing the beneficial attributes as well as overcoming the production constraints. Some of the potential options are efficient surface land configuration and crop diversification. Field experiments were conducted at the Research Farm at Bhopal to evaluate the land surface configuration and crop diversification. Results of our experiment on vertisols showed a considerable reduction in run off of water and also soil loss from broadbed and furrow (BBF) compared to flat-on-grade (FOG) during rainy season and at the same time crop productivity was significantly improved in BBF. It enhanced yield of soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.), maize (Zea mays L.), pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.) as sole and as well as intercropping and sole chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) by about 12.7-20.0% over FOG. The yield of crops (soybean, maize and pigeonpea), expressed as soybean equivalent yield, was compared and it showed an improvement in yield from different intercropping systems on BBF. The residual effect of rainy season crops on succeeding chickpea was not significant; however, its yield in two irrigation (one pre-sowing plus one post-sowing) was significantly greater than pre-sowing irrigation only in both land configurations. Water use efficiency (WUE) of chickpea was more under BBF than FOG. The study elucidates the constraints and potentials of vertisol for crop production especially with reference to central India and effective ways to improve crop productivity through land surface modification and crop diversification.Not Availabl

Not Available

Not AvailableOf late, intensive farming for higher food production is often associated with many negative implications for soil systems, such as decline of soil organic matter (SOM), increase in risks of soil erosion by wind and/or water, decline in soil biological diversity, increase in degradation of soil physical quality, lower nutrient-use efficiency, high risks of groundwater pollution, falling water tables, increasing salinization and waterlogging, in-field burning of crop residues, pollution of air and emission of greenhouse gases (GHG), leading to global warming, and decline in factor productivity. These negative implications necessitate an objective review of strategies to develop sustainable management practices, which could not only sustain soil health and ensure food security, but also enhance carbon sequestration, decrease GHG emissions, and offer clean and better ecosystem services. Conservation agriculture (CA), that includes reduced or no-till practices along with crop residue retention and mixed crop rotations, offers multiple benefits. Adoption of a system-based CA conserves water, improves and creates more efficient use of natural resources through the integrated management of available soil nutrients, water, and biological resources, and enhances use efficiency of external inputs. Due to apparent benefits of CA, it is increasingly being adopted and now covers about 180 million hectares (Mha) worldwide. However, in South Asia its spread is low (<5 Mha), mostly concentrated in the Indo-Gangetic Plains (IGP). In this region, one of the serious issues is “residue burning” with severe environmental impacts. A huge amount of crop residue left over after the combine harvest of rice has forced farmers to practice widespread residue burning (∼140 M tonnes) to cope with excessive stubble and also for timely planting/sowing of succeeding crops. In rice-wheat cropping systems, which cover more than 10 Mha in the IGP, CA practices are relatively more accepted by farmers. In these systems, any delay in sowing leads to yield penalty of 1–1.5% per day after the optimum sowing date of wheat. The strong adoption of CA practices in IGP is mainly to overcome delayed sowing due to the field preparation and control of weeds, timely planting, and also escape from terminal heat during the grain-filling stage. Major challenges to CA adoption in South Asia are small land holdings (<1 ha), low technological reach to farmers, nonavailability of suitable farm implements for small farm holders, and the staunch conventional farming mind-set. South Asia region consists of many countries of diverse agro-ecologies with contrasting farming systems and management. This region, recently known for rapid economic growth and increasing population, necessitates higher food production and also hot-spots for adoption of CA technologies. Therefore, in this review critically explores the possibility, extent of area, prospects, challenges, and benefits of CA in South Asia.Not Availabl