Coping with the Supply-Demand Gap of Agricultural Labourers: A Case Study of Uttar Dinajpur District of West Bengal

The present paper has analyzed the mechanism by which farmers try to cope with the supply-demand gap of agricultural labourers during busy agricultural seasons in the face of growing shortage of agricultural labourers. The traditional mechanism of patron-client relationship between farmers and agricultural labourers has been dealt with in this regard. In this paper an attempt has been made to find answer to the following questions: What is the degree of attachment of the agricultural labourers with the employer? Is there any patron-client relationship between the employer and the employee? How effective is this relationship as a coping mechanism to mitigate the problem of supply-demand gap of agricultural labourers? The paper is based on a micro level study conducted in six villages of Uttar Dinajpur district, a predominantly agricultural and backward district of West Bengal. The study has suggested that to cope with the situation of supplydemand gap of farm labour, there is no other alternative but to adopt selective mechanization of farm activities. Some degree of mechanization is already there which is visibly on the rise. In future, there will be more inducement to undertake mechanical innovation to tackle the growing supply-demand gap in the farm labour.Patron-client relationship, Supply-demand gap, Farmer-labourer attachment, Agricultural labourers, Agricultural and Food Policy, J22, J23, J43,

Abnormalities in semen analysis among male partners of infertile couples: a study in a tertiary care level hospital of West Bengal, India

Background: The prevalence of infertility in the general population is 15%-20%. Of this, the male factor is responsible for 20%-40%.Analysis of semen is the most important diagnostic tool for evaluation of role of males in infertility. The study was conducted to determine the abnormalities in semen among male partners in infertile couples.Methods: A descriptive study with cross-sectional design among male partners of infertile couples was conducted in the laboratory of the Department of Pathology at Burdwan Medical College, Burdwan in West Bengal during August 2011 to July 2012. Analysis of semen was done for semen volume, sperm number, sperm motility and presence of other cells.Results: 7.45% samples were of inadequate quantity. 19.87 % of cases had oligozoospermia, 12.42% had azoospermia and 4.35% of males had asthenozoospermia. Pus cells were found in 12.42% cases.Conclusions: Majority of the cases of infertility in males is due to oligozoospermia followed by azoospermia while less sperm motility or less amount of semen are also responsible in some cases

Synthesis of New Liquid Crystals Embedded Gold Nanoparticles for Photoswitching Properties

A new series of liquid crystals decorated gold nanoparticles is synthesized whose molecular architecture has azobenzenes moieties as the peripheral units connected to gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) via alkyl groups. The morphology and mesomorphic properties were investigated by field emission scanning electron microscope, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry and polarizing optical microscopy. The thiolated ligand molecules (3a–c) showed enantiotropic smectic A phase, whereas gold nanoparticles (5a–c) exhibit nematic and smectic A phase with monotropic nature. HR-TEM measurement showed that the functionalized Au NPs are of the average size of 2 nm and they are well dispersed without any aggregation. The trans-form of azo compounds showed a strong band in the UV region at ∼378 nm for the π-π∗ transition, and a weak band in the visible region at ∼472 nm due to the n-π∗ transition. These molecules exhibit attractive photoisomerization behaviour in which trans-cis transition takes about 15 s whereas the cis-trans transition requires about 45 min for compound 5c. The extent of reversible isomerization did not decay after 10 cycles, which proved that the photo-responsive properties of 5c were stable and repeatable. Therefore, these materials may be suitably exploited in the field of molecular switches and the optical storage devices

Generation of a Wide-Band Response Using Early-Time and Middle-Frequency Data Throught the Use of Orthogonal Fuctions

Abstract|Generation of a wide-band response using partial information from the time domain (TD) data and frequency domain (FD) data has been accomplished in this paper through the use of three different orthogonal functions, such as the continuous Laguerre functions, the Bessel-Chebyshev functions, and the associate Hermite functions. In this hybrid approach, one can generate the early-time response using the method of marching-on-in-time (MOT) and use the method of moment (MOM) to generate the middle-frequency response, as the low-frequency data may be unstable. Since the early-time and the middle-frequency data are mutually complimentary, they can provide the missing low- and high-frequency response and the late- time response, respectively. Even though obtaining middle-frequency response from an object needs more computation time than the low- frequency response, this approach has better performance for the interpolation and extrapolation of a wide-band response

The effect of broadband matching in simultaneous information and power transfer

This paper presents the implementation and the effect of broadband matching in simultaneous information and power transfer. The narrowband characteristic of antennas limited the applications of simultaneous information and power transfer. The simplified real frequency technique (SRFT) and the non-foster matching technique have been presented to improve the performance in terms of channel capacity and power delivery. Electromagnetic simulation and multiobjective optimization are performed to analyze the tradeoff between the channel capacity and power delivery in different matching conditions. The performance gain using the matching networks have been demonstrated and analyzedPeer ReviewedPostprint (author’s final draft

Strong metal–metal coupling in mixed-valent intermediates [Cl(L)Ru(μ-tppz)Ru(L)Cl]+, L = β-diketonato ligands, tppz = 2,3,5,6-tetrakis(2-pyridyl)pyrazine

Five diruthenium(II) complexes [Cl(L)Ru(μ-tppz)Ru(L)Cl] (1–5) containing differently substituted β-diketonato derivatives (1: L = 2,4-pentanedionato; 2: L = 3,5-heptanedionato; 3: L = 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-3,5-heptanedionato; 4: L = 3-methyl-2,4-pentanedionato; 5: L = 3-ethyl-2,4-pentanedionato) as ancillary ligands (L) were synthesized and studied by spectroelectrochemistry (UV-Vis- NIR, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR)). X-ray structural characterisation revealed anti (1, 2, 5) or syn (3) configuration as well as non-planarity of the bis-tridentate tppz bridge and strong dπ(RuII) → π*(pyrazine, tppz) back- bonding. The widely separated one-electron oxidation steps, RuIIRuII/RuIIRuIII and RuIIRuIII/RuIIIRuIII, result in large comproportionation constants (Kc) of ≥1010 for the mixed-valent intermediates. The syn-configurated 3n exhibits a particularly high Kc of 1012 for n = 1+, accompanied by density functional theory (DFT)-calculated minimum Ru–N bond lengths for this RuIIRuIII intermediate. The electrogenerated mixed-valent states 1+–5+ exhibit anisotropic EPR spectra at 110 K with average values of 2.304–2.234 and g anisotropies Δg = g1–g3 of 0.82–0.99. Metal-to-metal charge transfer (MMCT) absorptions occur for 1+–5+ in the NIR region at 1660 nm–1750 nm (ε ≈ 2700 dm3 mol−1 cm−1, Δν1/2 ≈ 1800 cm−1). DFT calculations of 1+ and 3+ yield comparable Mulliken spin densities of about 0.60 for the metal ions, corresponding to valence-delocalised situations (Ru2.5)2. Rather large spin densities of about −0.4 were calculated for the tppz bridges in 1+ and 3+. The calculated electronic interaction values (VAB) for 1+–5+ are about 3000 cm−1, comparable to that for the Creutz–Taube ion at 3185 cm−1. The DFT calculations predict that the RuIIIRuIII forms in 12+–52+ prefer a triplet (S = 1) ground state with ΔE (S = 0 − S = 1) [similar]5000 cm−1. One-electron reduction takes place at the tppz bridge which results in species [Cl(L)RuII(μ-tppz˙−)RuII(L)Cl]− (1˙−–3˙−, 5˙−) which exhibit free radical-type EPR signals and NIR transitions typical of the tppz radical anion. The system 4n is distinguished by lability of the Ru–Cl bonds

Valence and spin situations in isomeric [(bpy)Ru(Q′)2]n (Q′ = 3,5-di-tert- butyl-N-aryl-1,2-benzoquinonemonoimine). An experimental and DFT analysis

The article deals with the ruthenium complexes, [(bpy)Ru(Q′)2] (1–3) incorporating two unsymmetrical redox-noninnocent iminoquinone moieties [bpy = 2,2′-bipyridine; Q′ = 3,5-di-tert-butyl-N-aryl-1,2-benzoquinonemonoimine, aryl = C6H5 (Q′1), 1; m-Cl2C6H3 (Q′2), 2; m-(OCH3)2C6H3 (Q′3), 3]. 1 and 3 have been preferentially stabilised in the cc-isomeric form while both the ct- and cc-isomeric forms of 2 are isolated [ct: cis and trans and cc: cis and cis with respect to the mutual orientations of O and N donors of two Q′]. The isomeric identities of 1–3 have been authenticated by their single-crystal X-ray structures. The collective consideration of crystallographic and DFT data along with other analytical events reveals that 1–3 exhibit the valence configuration of [(bpy)RuII(Q′Sq)2]. The magnetization studies reveal a ferromagnetic response at 300 K and virtual diamagnetic behaviour at 2 K. DFT calculations on representative 2a and 2b predict that the excited triplet (S = 1) state is lying close to the singlet (S = 0) ground state with singlet–triplet separation of 0.038 eV and 0.075 eV, respectively. In corroboration with the paramagnetic features the complexes exhibit free radical EPR signals with g [similar]2 and 1HNMR spectra with broad aromatic proton signals associated with the Q′ at 300 K. Experimental results in conjunction with the DFT (for representative 2a and 2b) reveal iminoquinone based preferential electron-transfer processes leaving the ruthenium(II) ion mostly as a redox insensitive entity: [(bpy)RuII(Q′Q)2]2+ (12+–32+) [leftrightharpoons] [(bpy)RuII(Q′Sq)(Q′Q)]+ (1+–3+) [leftrightharpoons] [(bpy)RuII(Q′Sq)2] (1–3) [leftrightharpoons] [(bpy)RuII(Q′Sq)(Q′Cat)]−/[(bpy)RuIII(Q′Cat)2]− (1−–3−). The diamagnetic doubly oxidised state, [(bpy)RuII(Q′Q)2]2+ in 12+–32+ has been authenticated further by the crystal structure determination of the representative [(bpy)RuII(Q′3)2](ClO4)2 [3](ClO4)2 as well as by its sharp 1H NMR spectrum. The key electronic transitions in each redox state of 1n–3n have been assigned by TD–DFT calculations on representative 2a and 2b

Experimental assessment of arsenic toxicity in garole sheep in India

Arsenic, a dangerous bio-accumulative poison, is a grave threat affecting a large number of people as well as animals throughout the World, particularly in Bangladesh and West Bengal, India. It is also a matter of concern as continuously entering into food chain through biotic and abiotic products. The present study was conducted to evaluate the experimental effect of arsenic toxicosis on Garole sheep of West Bengal. One group was subjected to oral arsenic exposure @ 6.6 mg Kg−1 over 133 days when rests considered as negative control. Periodical arsenic estimation in wool, urine and feces along with hemato-biochemical alteration were checked thoroughly. It was evident from the study that long term arsenic exposure exerted a significant (p < 0.01) alteration compared to normal animal which were further supported by clinical abnormalities. Exposed animals showed histological changes throughout major internal organs like coagulative necrosis of liver, tubular nephritis of kidney and acanthosis of skin etc. The bio-accumulative and excretion pattern of arsenic inside body were also well understood by the arsenic estimation study of wool, urine and feces which may be helpful for discussion regarding arsenic entry into food chain via animals

Poly(hydroxamic acid) functionalized copper catalyzed C–N bond formation reactions

Highly active poly(hydroxamic acid) functionalized copper catalysts were synthesized by the surface modification of khaya cellulose through graft copolymerization and subsequent hydroximation processes. The prepared catalysts were well characterized by FTIR, FESEM, HRTEM, ICP-AES, UV-vis and XPS analyses. The supported catalysts effectively promoted C–N bond formation reactions and provided excellent yields of the corresponding products under mild reaction conditions. The catalysts were easy to recover from the reaction mixture and were reused several times without any significant loss of their catalytic activity