Women in Exile: A Study of Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, Bharati Mukherjee, and Anita Rau Badami

During the post-colonial period, literature has crossed the boundaries of nation, language, and culture. An important feature of the period is the emergence of woman writers. Significant space has been created for women to discuss their peculiar problems and issues. The social, cultural, and literary definitions accumulated over the past by the patriarchal tradition were redefined from alternate and, especially, from feminist or womanist points of view. With more and more women taking part in the public life and the steady increase in the number of independent women, there is a significant rise in women’s writings across the globe.The paper entitled “Transnationalism and Women: A Study of Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, Bharati Mukherjee, and Anita Rau Badami” discusses how three prominent woman writers of the Diaspora deal with problems of the transnational women

Synthesis and Characterization of Magnesium Doped Ferric Sulphate Nanoparticles (Mg-Fe2SO3 NPs) for Agriculture Applications

The present study aimed to synthesize the magnesium doped ferric sulphate nanoparticles (Mg-Fe2SO3 NPs) and investigate their seed germination efficacy. Mg-Fe2SO3 NPs were prepared by a simple and cost-effective method and subjected to characterization. The X-ray Diffraction (XRD) spectrum revealed the crystalline nature of Mg-Fe2SO3 NPs with an average crystallite size of 36.41 nm. The field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) image displayed the agglomeration of Mg-Fe2SO3 NPs with the shape of the grains appeared like starfish which has limbs grown from a common cluster. The energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) demonstrated the existence of C (10.5%), O (49.14%), Fe (26.67%), Mg (0.78%) and S (13.35%) elements in Mg-Fe2SO3 NPs. It also revealed the absence of impurities in the synthesized NPs. Through Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Mg-Fe2SO3 NPs showed the characteristic peaks at 615.29cm-1, 1130.29cm-1, 1400.32 cm-1and 1633.71cm-1 which corresponded to Fe-O, C-N, O-H and N-H vibration respectively. Further, the seed germination study revealed that the Mg-Fe2SO3 NPs treatment caused a significant increase in seedling growth of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) seeds compared to the untreated samples

Effect of different herbicide spray volumes on weed control efficiency of a battery-operated Unmanned aerial vehicle sprayer in transplanted rice (Oryza sativa L.)

The effect of spray volume on weed control in transplanted rice ecosystems using the Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) needs to be better understood for management in the advancements of UAV-based spraying technology. The present study aimed to find out the influence of varied spray volumes of 15 L/ha, 20 L/ha and 25 L/ha using the UAV and 500 L/ha using a Knapsack sprayer (KS) to compare the weed density, weed dry matter and weed control efficiency and yield in transplanted rice (Oryza sativa L.). Pre-emergence (PE) application of Pyrazosulfuron-ethyl at 25 g a.i./ha at three days after transplanting (DAT) and post-emergence (PoE) application of Bis-pyribac sodium at 25 g a.i./ha at 25 DAT were used as herbicide treatments. The results revealed that varied spray volumes significantly influenced the weed density, dry matter, and weed control efficiency of the UAV and KS. Application of herbicides using KS (500 L/ha) and UAV (25 L/ha) had better control on the weeds by reducing weed density and dry matter at 20, 40, and 60 DAT, with no significant difference. Higher grain yield and straw yield were recorded in KS (500 L/ha) and UAV (25 L/ha), with no significant difference. However, applying 25 L/ha had better weed control efficiency and higher yield, possibly due to optimum deposition. Considering the low volume application of UAV (25 L/ha) as compared with KS (500 L/ha), it is better to go for the optimal application of 25 L/ha, which is an energy-efficient and cost-effective, labour-saving approach compared to KS

Biochemical and molecular aspects of 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH)-induced colon carcinogenesis: a review

1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH) is a member in the class of hydrazines, strong DNA alkylating agent, naturally present in cycads. DMH is widely used as a carcinogen to induce colon cancer in animal models. Exploration of DMH-induced colon carcinogenesis in rodent models provides the knowledge to perceive the biochemical, molecular, and histological mechanisms of different stages of colon carcinogenesis. The procarcinogen DMH, after a series of metabolic reactions, finally reaches the colon, there produces the ultimate carcinogen and reactive oxygen species (ROS), which further alkylate the DNA and initiate the development of colon carcinogenesis. The preneolpastic lesions and histopathological observations of DMH-induced colon tumors may provide typical understanding about the disease in rodents and humans. In addition, this review discusses about the action of biotransformation and antioxidant enzymes involved in DMH intoxication. This understanding is essential to accurately identify and interpret alterations that occur in the colonic mucosa when evaluating natural or pharmacological compounds in DMH-induced animal colon carcinogenesis

Morphological investigation and mechanical behaviour of agrowaste reinforced aluminium alloy 8011 for service life improvement

Aluminium composite materials are beneficial in most engineering applications, most notably, because of their lightweight to strength ratio amongst many others. This study reports the reinforcement of aluminium alloy 8011 with cow horn and corncob in varying weight percentages of 5wt%, 10wt%, 15wt% and 20wt%. This study adopted the Stir casting method based on availability and cost-effectiveness as the cheapest method amongst others. The developed composite materials were in eight different samples alongside one control sample of the aluminium alloy base material. The samples used for this experimental study were tested for tensile strength, hardness and microstructural analysis. The outcome of the study shows that the sample with 20wt% of cow horn reinforcement gave the best-improved properties in terms of yield strength, ultimate tensile strength (UTS) and hardness with percentage improvement of 57%, 52.6% and 54.4% respectively. Hardness was also improved with 52.6% over the control sample with the 15wt% cow horn reinforced sample. Cow horn of 10wt% reinforcement improved the material by 61%. The results shown have justified the relevant effect of agro-waste materials in composite development

An Agricultural Irrigatıon Management System Based on the Internet of Things With MQTT Protocol

Abstract There are several factors upon which the yield of a crop depends. Water, external temperature, humidity, the fertility of the soil, etc. Among these, water is a vital and scarce resource, and thereby more human attention is needed. When and how to water the plants are the two important things to consider in agricultural irrigation! Modernizing agriculture with the help of smart technologies is a promising solution. This project presents an automated irrigation system for agriculture-based out of several low-cost sensors that monitor and maintain the soil moisture based on real-time data from the field with very low form factor compared to the existing systems. This automated system is a combination of low-cost hardware, IoT, and cloud server. The ESP8266 MCU installed in the field will collect all the sensor data from the crops and send it to the cloud server, thingspeak, for storage via Wi-Fi. The farmers can monitor the stored or real-time data on their mobile or in a web portal. They can also check the status of the pump at any time from anywhere. The amount of moisture required for a specific type of crop is predetermined and saved in the system thereby human presence can be decreased and can effectively make the system automated.</jats:p

Ayurvedic Management of Kitibha Kushta

Psoriasis is long lasting, non-contagious autoimmune disease. Characterized by scaly patches on skin with dry and reddish discoloration. In India incidence rate of psoriasis about 2% to 4%, steroids and immunosuppressive drugs are the treatment option in contemporary science. Due to their limitation and high chance of recurrence. Present case report, A 50 years old female patient presented with a 1 month history of itching and whitish scaly patches on the skin diagnosed as Kitibha kushta (psoriasis). The patient was treated with 15 day course of Shamanaushadi, including Tab. Gandakarasayana, Arogyavardini vati, Cap. Guggulu tiktaka ghrita, and Bactimo ointment. Significant improvement was observed within 15 days, with no signs of recurrence. The treatment protocol adopted based on the Ayurvedic principles, targeting the Vatakapha dosha predominance in Kitibhakushta. This case report highlights the effectiveness of Shamanaushadi in managing psoriasis and support further research to explore its potential as a complementary therapy