Effect of land management practices on soil moisture storage characteristics

A field study was conducted to evaluate moisture storage in soil profile under four tillage-residue management practices namely conventional tillage, no-tillage without residue, no-tillage with residue and deep tillage along with three irrigation regime based on IW/PAN-E ratio 1.2, 0.9 and 0.6 in maize with three replications in split plot design. Significant differences were observed in steady state infiltration rate and cumulative infiltration among different land management practices with maximum value in deep tillage (4.9 cm hr-1 and 33.1 cm) followed by no tillage with residue (4.1cm hr-1 and 28.6 cm), no tillage without residue (4.0 cm hr-1 and 23.0 cm) and conventional tillage (2.8 cm hr-1 and 19.4 cm), respectively. The highest mean weight diameter and water stable aggregates were found under no tillage with residue (0.64 mm and 49.7%) and lowest under deep tillage (0.3 mm and 21.8%), respectively. Higher volumetric soil water content and soil profile moisture storage were recorded under no tillage with residue at different days after sowing. Among different tillage-residue management practices, maximum leaf area index and relative leaf water content were observed in no-tillage with residue. Under moisture stress conditions, no-tillage with residue retention was suitable land management option for reducing evaporation losses and enhancing moisture storage in the soil profile

Safety and effectiveness of BCG vaccination in preterm babies

Aim: To assess the cell mediated immune response to BCG vaccine in preterm babies. Methods:Sixty two consecutive preterm babies born at < 35 weeks of gestation were randomly allocated into two groups. Babies in group A were vaccinated early at 34-35 weeks and group B were vaccinated late at 38-40 weeks of postconceptional age. The two groups were similar in terms of: gestational age (mean (SD) 33.1 (1. 1) and 33 (1.2) weeks, respectively); birthweight 1583 (204) and 1546 (218) g; neonatal problems; socioeconomic status; and postnatal weight gain. The cell mediated immune response to BCG was assessed using the Mantoux test and the lymphocyte migration inhibition test (LMIT) 6-8 weeks after BCG vaccination. Induration of >5 mm after the Mantoux test was taken as a positive response. Results: There was no significant difference in the tuberculin conversion rates (80% and 80.7%, respectively), positive LMIT (86.6% and 90.3%, respectively), or BCG scar (90.0% and 87.1%, respectively) among the two groups. Conclusions: Prematurity seems to be an unlikely cause for poor vaccine uptake. Preterm babies can be effectively vaccinated with BCG at 34-35 weeks of postconceptional age, the normal time of discharge in a developing country

Leading Article Nutrition, immunity and infections in children

Human health and well-being depends upon an interaction between genetic endowment or constitution on the one hand and environmental factors like nutrition, ecology (environmental sanitation, safe drinking water, pollutants, toxins etc) and life style (physical exercise, mental poise, peace, positive thinking, art of living, spirituality etc) on the other. Good nutrition and sound health go hand-inhand. It has been known since the time of Hippocrates, that a person with good nutrition is able to ward off infections much more effectively than a person who is "fragile and weak". During most of the 20th century, the focus of research in nutrition was how to improve intake of total calories and protein in children. Therefore, the florid cases of kwashiorkor, severe protein-energy malnutrition and severe deficiencies of single micronutrients like scurvy, beriberi, pellagra and keratomalacia have significantly declined or disappeared. However, there is still widespread prevalence of diseases of public health relevance due to deficiencies of single micronutrients like iron deficiency anaemia, goitre and other iodine-deficiency disorders and milder forms of vitamin A deficiency 1. But, of late, there has been an increasing awareness that subclinical or biochemical deficiency of certain micronutrients ("hidden hunger") is widely prevalent in developing countries which is adversely affecting the quality of human life and leading to frequent occurrence of common day-to-day gastrointestinal and respiratory infections 2. It has been documented in developing countries that impaired immunocompetence due to nutritional deficiencies precedes overt infections and may even occur before growth failure is evident. Nutritional status of children Nutritional disorders are common in children due to their higher nutritional requirements to meet the demands of their physical and mental growth and because of their dependence on parents an