Spatial variability of groundwater quality of Sabour block, Bhagalpur district (Bihar, India)

This paper examines the quality of groundwater of Sabour block, Bhagalpur district of Bihar state, which lies on the southern region of Indo-Gangetic plains in India. Fifty-nine samples from different sources of water in the block have been collected to determine its suitability for drinking and irrigational purposes. From the samples electrical conductivity (EC), pH and concentrations of Calcium (Ca2+), Magnesium (Mg2+), Sodium (Na+), Potassium (K+), carbonate ion (CO 2−3), Bicarbonate ion (HCO -3), Chloride ion (Cl−), and Fluoride (F−) were determined. Surface maps of all the groundwater quality parameters have been prepared using radial basis function (RBF) method. RBF model was used to interpolate data points in a group of multi-dimensional space. Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) is employed to scrutinize the best fit of the model to compare the obtained value. The mean value of pH, EC, Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+, K+, HCO3 −, Cl−, and F− are found to be 7.26, 0.69, 38.98, 34.20, 16.92, 1.19, 0.02, and 0.28, respectively. Distribution of calcium concentration is increasing to the eastern part and K+ concentrations raise to the downstream area in the southwestern part. Low pH concentrations (less than 6.71) occur in eastern part of the block. Spatial variations of hardness in Sabour block portraying maximum concentration in the western part and maximum SAR (more than 4.23) were recorded in the southern part. These results are not exceeding for drinking and irrigation uses recommended by World Health Organization. Therefore, the majority of groundwater samples are found to be safe for drinking and irrigation management practices

Randomized Clinical Trial of High-Dose Rifampicin With or Without Levofloxacin Versus Standard of Care for Pediatric Tuberculous Meningitis: The TBM-KIDS Trial

Background. Pediatric tuberculous meningitis (TBM) commonly causes death or disability. In adults, high-dose rifampicin may reduce mortality. The role of fluoroquinolones remains unclear. There have been no antimicrobial treatment trials for pediatric TBM. Methods. TBM-KIDS was a phase 2 open-label randomized trial among children with TBM in India and Malawi. Participants received isoniazid and pyrazinamide plus: (i) high-dose rifampicin (30 mg/kg) and ethambutol (R30HZE, arm 1); (ii) high-dose rifampicin and levofloxacin (R30HZL, arm 2); or (iii) standard-dose rifampicin and ethambutol (R15HZE, arm 3) for 8 weeks, followed by 10 months of standard treatment. Functional and neurocognitive outcomes were measured longitudinally using Modified Rankin Scale (MRS) and Mullen Scales of Early Learning (MSEL). Results. Of 2487 children prescreened, 79 were screened and 37 enrolled. Median age was 72 months; 49%, 43%, and 8% had stage I, II, and III disease, respectively. Grade 3 or higher adverse events occurred in 58%, 55%, and 36% of children in arms 1, 2, and 3, with 1 death (arm 1) and 6 early treatment discontinuations (4 in arm 1, 1 each in arms 2 and 3). By week 8, all children recovered to MRS score of 0 or 1. Average MSEL scores were significantly better in arm 1 than arm 3 in fine motor, receptive language, and expressive language domains (P < .01). Conclusions. In a pediatric TBM trial, functional outcomes were excellent overall. The trend toward higher frequency of adverse events but better neurocognitive outcomes in children receiving high-dose rifampicin requires confirmation in a larger trial. Clinical Trials Registration. NCT02958709

Nano the revolution of 21st century

El mundo emergente de nanotecnología viene a raíz de importantes cambios en el uso de la tecnología. Los materiales en la mayor parte se forman cuando son transferidos a forma de nano exhibiendo propiedades maravillosas como la transparencia de plástico que le da a las recubiertas cuando están cubiertas con nano partículas de óxido de zirconio, maleabilidad, ductilidad de frágiles de cerámica en la conversión a nano forma. Además hay un aumento considerable en la fuerza de cobre cuando se convierte a nano escala. La reducción del punto de fusión y sintetizando la temperatura de materiales como el óxido de titanio cuando es llevado a nano escala se observa también. La ingeniería de bandgap de semiconductores nano también se ha discutido.The emerging world of nanotechnology comes in the wake of major changes in the use of technology. The materials in the bulk form when transfer to nano form which exhibit wonderful properties like the transparency of plastic coated lens when coated with nano particles of zirconia, malleability, ductility of brittle ceramic on conversion to nano form. Further there is considerable increase in strength of copper when converted to nano size. The bandgap engineering of nano semiconductor has also been discussed

Binary Star System- A Spectral Analysis

A binary star is a star system consisting of two stars orbiting around their common center of mass. The brighter star is called the primary and the other is its companion star, comes, or secondary. Research between the early 1800s and today suggests that many stars are part of either binary star systems or star systems with more than two stars, called multiple star systems. The term double star may be used synonymously with binary star, but more generally, a double star may be either a binary star or an optical double star which consists of two stars with no physical connection but which appear close together in the sky as seen from the Earth. A double star may be determined to be optical if its components have sufficiently different proper motions or different radial velocities, or if parallax measurements reveal its two components to be at sufficiently different distances from the Earth. Most known double stars have not yet been determined to be either bound binary star systems or optical doubles.Una estrella binaria es un sistema estelar compuesto por dos estrellas que orbitan alrededor de su centro de masa común. La estrella más brillante es llamada primaria y la otra es su estrella compañera, proviene, o secundaria. La investigación entre los años 1800 y hoy en día sugiere que muchas estrellas son parte de cualquiera de los sistemas de estrellas binarias o sistemas estelares con más de dos estrellas, llamados sistemas de estrellas múltiples. El término estrella doble puede emplearse como sinónimo de estrella binaria, pero más en general, una estrella doble puede ser una estrella binaria o una estrella doble óptica que consiste de dos estrellas sin conexión física, pero que aparecen juntas en el cielo como se ve desde de la Tierra. Una estrella doble puede ser determinada a ser óptica, si sus componentes tienen movimientos propios suficientemente diferentes o velocidades radiales diferentes, o si las mediciones de paralaje revelan sus dos componentes que se van a una distancia lo suficientemente diferente de la Tierra. La mayoría de las estrellas dobles conocidas no tiene que ser determinadas u obligadas a ser un sistema de estrellas binarias u ópticas dobles

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Not AvailableAn investigation was undertaken to standardise the in vitro culture establishment in pomegranate cultivars Bhagwa and Super Bhagwa by using different combinations and concentrations of growth regulators. Among different treatments tested, it was observed that The explants of pomegranate cv. Bhagwa inoculated on MS media supplemented with different combinations and concentrations of plant growth regulators had performed well over the explants cv. Super Bhagwa in terms of number of sprouts explant-1 (2.34), shoot length (2.41cm), percent callus induction (1.81%) and culture establishment index (140.42). The culturing of nodal explants of pomegranate cultivars on MS media supplemented with 1mgL-1 of BAP and 0.5 mgL-1 of NAA (T2) had recorded the less number of days for bud initiation (10.45d), maximum percent (86.83%) of culture establishment, number of sprouts (4.49), leaves (7.83), shoot length (4.05cm) explant-1 and culture establishment index (390.52) over other treatments and the control treatment showed no culture establishment.Not Availabl

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Not AvailableSuccess of a commercially viable protocol for mass multiplication of plants using tissue culture begins with effective elimination of microbial contamination by pre-treatment and surface sterilization methods. In the present study, nodal explants of pomegranate cv. Bhagwa and Super Bhagwa were established using different durations and concentrations of anti-microbial agents followed by inoculation in the culture media for initiation. Among different treatments tested, it was observed that in both the cultivars explants pre-treated with Carbendazim 0.2% + (Metalaxyl-M + Mancozeb) 0.2% + 8 HQ 200ppm for 1 h followed by surface sterilization in laminar airflow chamber with Mercuric chloride (HgCl2)@ 0.1% for 6 min. was proved to be effective method in culture establishment, with maximum survival percentage (57.13% and 67.41% respectively). Among the cultivars Bhagwa showed the maximum survival percentage (33.67% and 36.43%, respectively) when treated with Carbendazim 0.2% + (Metalaxyl-M + Mancozeb) 0.2% + 8 HQ 200ppm for 1 h followed by surface sterilization with Mercuric chloride (HgCl2) @ 0.1% for 6 min with minimum mortality of the explants.Not Availabl

Removal of Anthropogenic Toxic Gaseous Compounds from Indoor using Biomass-based Graphene Aerogels

The efficient capture of HCHO, tobacco smoke, and anthropogenic toxic pollutants is of paramount importance to mitigate indoor air pollution and protect the general population. Ultralight N-doped graphene aerogel (N-GA) with a three-dimensional (3D) honeycomb-like coarse-pore structure is synthesized from biomass (pear). By taking advantage of the micrometer-sized honeycomb pores, 3D interconnected porous structure, hierarchical pores, large pore volume (0.81 cm3 g–1), highly accessible surface area (1582 m2 g–1), and heteroatom-enriched (1.89% of N and 9.88% of O) nature, the N-GA offered high adsorption of the toxic gaseous compounds (TGCs). The as-synthesized N-GA without any further chemical/physical treatment exhibits an excellent adsorption-based capture of TGCs such as HCHO (996.7 mg g–1), ethanol (611 mg g–1), tobacco smoke (523.8 mg g–1), benzene (482.3 mg g–1), toluene (392 mg g–1), and carbon dioxide (365.3 mg g–1). Moreover, N-GA, as a low-cost and renewable adsorbent, exhibits high recyclability and long-term adsorption efficiency. These results demonstrate the potential of N-GA as an unprecedented candidate to design high-performance adsorbents for TGCs, suggesting a great application potential in air filters to control both indoor and outdoor air pollution