Adoption behaviour of dairy farmers in relation to green fodder cultivation in a cooperative farming system

This study was carried out at purposively selected Gaighata and Bagdah blocks of the North-24-Parganas District, West Bengal, India. From each of the purposively selected two blocks, 25 per cent of the villagelevel- milk cooperative societies were selected randomly. Thus, 10 village-level milk cooperative societies (25%) from Gaighata Block and 20 (25.64%) from Bagdah Block were randomly selected. From each of the selected milk cooperative societies, four dairy farmers were randomly selected, out of which both Member Cooperative Society (MCS) and Non-member Cooperative Society (NMCS) were two. Thus, 60 MCS and 60 NMCS (total of 120 respondents) were selected, which constituted the sample of this study. The direct face-to-face interview method with structured schedulewas followed for data collection. The study showed that adoption of green fodder cultivation was highly correlated with all the socio-psychological variables in MCS and NMCS. It also showed that all the communication variables had significant correlation with adoption of green fodder cultivation in MCS and NMCS, excepting personal cosmopolite and personal localite in MCS. Among socio-economic variables, age had significant negative correlation with adoption of green fodder cultivation in MCS. On Path analysis, knowledge about green fodder feeding in MCS, concentrate feeding, and deworming in NMCS came out to be the key variables that directly and indirectly influenced the adoption of green fodder cultivation

Logarithmic Corrections to Schwarzschild and Other Non-extremal Black Hole Entropy in Different Dimensions

Euclidean gravity method has been successful in computing logarithmic corrections to extremal black hole entropy in terms of low energy data, and gives results in perfect agreement with the microscopic results in string theory. Motivated by this success we apply Euclidean gravity to compute logarithmic corrections to the entropy of various non-extremal black holes in different dimensions, taking special care of integration over the zero modes and keeping track of the ensemble in which the computation is done. These results provide strong constraint on any ultraviolet completion of the theory if the latter is able to give an independent computation of the entropy of non-extremal black holes from microscopic description. For Schwarzschild black holes in four space-time dimensions the macroscopic result seems to disagree with the existing result in loop quantum gravity.Comment: LaTeX, 40 pages; corrected small typos and added reference

Explosion risk assessment model for underground mine atmosphere

In the coal mining industry, explosions or mine fires present the most hazardous safety threats for coal miners or mine rescue members. Hence, the determination of the mine atmosphere explosibility and its evolution are critical for the success of mine rescues or controlling the severity of a mine accident. However, although there are numbers of methods which can be used to identify the explosibility, none of them could well indicate the change to the explosion risk time evolution. The reason is that the underground sealed atmospheric compositions are so complicated and their dynamical changes are also affected by various influence factors. There is no one method that could well handle all such considerations. Therefore, accurately knowing the mine atmospheric status is still a complicated problem for mining engineers. Method of analyzing the explosion safety margin for an underground sealed atmosphere is urgently desired. This article is going to propose a series of theoretical explosion risk assessment models to fully analyze the evolution of explosion risk in an underground mine atmosphere. Models are based on characteristics of the Coward explosibility diagram with combining mathematical analyzing approaches to address following problems: (1) for an "not-explosive" atmosphere, judging the evolution of explosion risk and estimating the change-of-state time span from "not-explosive" to "explosive" and (2) for an "explosive" atmosphere, estimating the "critical" time span of moving out of explosive zone and stating the best risk mitigation strategy. Such research efforts could not only help mine operators understand the explosibility risk of a sealed mine atmosphere but also provide a useful tool to wisely control explosive atmosphere away from any dangers. In order to demonstrate research findings, case studies for derived models are shown and are also used to instruct readers how to apply them. The results provide useful information for effectively controlling an explosive underground sealed atmosphere

Chronic Disease Self-Management Challenges among Rural Women Living with HIV/AIDS in Prakasam, Andhra Pradesh, India: A Qualitative Study.

Rural women living with HIV/AIDS (WLHA) in India experience challenges self-managing HIV/AIDS in their rural communities. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore factors influencing their care and antiretroviral treatment (ART) adherence. Themes that emerged from the qualitative focus groups among WLHA (N = 24) in rural Prakasam, Andhra Pradesh, India, included: (1) coming to know about HIV and other health conditions, (2) experiences being on ART, (3) challenges maintaining a nutritious diet, (4) factors affecting health care access and quality, and (5) seeking support for a better future. Chronic disease self-management in rural locales is challenging, given the number of barriers which rural women experience on a daily basis. These findings suggest a need for individual- and structural-level supports that will aid in assisting rural WLHA to self-manage HIV/AIDS as a chronic illness

The SU(2) black hole entropy revisited

We study the state-counting problem that arises in the SU(2) black hole entropy calculation in loop quantum gravity. More precisely, we compute the leading term and the logarithmic correction of both the spherically symmetric and the distorted SU( 2) black holes. Contrary to what has been done in previous works, we have to take into account "quantum corrections" in our framework in the sense that the level k of the Chern-Simons theory which describes the black hole is finite and not sent to infinity. Therefore, the new results presented here allow for the computation of the entropy in models where the quantum group corrections are important

A semiparametric modeling framework for potential biomarker discovery and the development of metabonomic profiles

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The discovery of biomarkers is an important step towards the development of criteria for early diagnosis of disease status. Recently electrospray ionization (ESI) and matrix assisted laser desorption (MALDI) time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometry have been used to identify biomarkers both in proteomics and metabonomics studies. Data sets generated from such studies are generally very large in size and thus require the use of sophisticated statistical techniques to glean useful information. Most recent attempts to process these types of data model each compound's intensity either discretely by positional (mass to charge ratio) clustering or through each compounds' own intensity distribution. Traditionally data processing steps such as noise removal, background elimination and m/z alignment, are generally carried out separately resulting in unsatisfactory propagation of signals in the final model.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In the present study a novel semi-parametric approach has been developed to distinguish urinary metabolic profiles in a group of traumatic patients from those of a control group consisting of normal individuals. Data sets obtained from the replicates of a single subject were used to develop a functional profile through Dirichlet mixture of beta distribution. This functional profile is flexible enough to accommodate variability of the instrument and the inherent variability of each individual, thus simultaneously addressing different sources of systematic error. To address instrument variability, all data sets were analyzed in replicate, an important issue ignored by most studies in the past. Different model comparisons were performed to select the best model for each subject. The m/z values in the window of the irregular pattern are then further recommended for possible biomarker discovery.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>To the best of our knowledge this is the very first attempt to model the physical process behind the time-of flight mass spectrometry. Most of the state of the art techniques does not take these physical principles in consideration while modeling such data. The proposed modeling process will apply as long as the basic physical principle presented in this paper is valid. Notably we have confined our present work mostly within the modeling aspect. Nevertheless clinical validation of our recommended list of potential biomarkers will be required. Hence, we have termed our modeling approach as a "framework" for further work.</p

Of cattle, sand flies and men : a systematic review of risk factor analyses for South Asian visceral leishmaniasis and implications for elimination

Background: Studies performed over the past decade have identified fairly consistent epidemiological patterns of risk factors for visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in the Indian subcontinent. Methods and Principal Findings: To inform the current regional VL elimination effort and identify key gaps in knowledge, we performed a systematic review of the literature, with a special emphasis on data regarding the role of cattle because primary risk factor studies have yielded apparently contradictory results. Because humans form the sole infection reservoir, clustering of kala-azar cases is a prominent epidemiological feature, both at the household level and on a larger scale. Subclinical infection also tends to show clustering around kala-azar cases. Within villages, areas become saturated over a period of several years; kala-azar incidence then decreases while neighboring areas see increases. More recently, post kalaazar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL) cases have followed kala-azar peaks. Mud walls, palpable dampness in houses, and peridomestic vegetation may increase infection risk through enhanced density and prolonged survival of the sand fly vector. Bed net use, sleeping on a cot and indoor residual spraying are generally associated with decreased risk. Poor micronutrient status increases the risk of progression to kala-azar. The presence of cattle is associated with increased risk in some studies and decreased risk in others, reflecting the complexity of the effect of bovines on sand fly abundance, aggregation, feeding behavior and leishmanial infection rates. Poverty is an overarching theme, interacting with individual risk factors on multiple levels. Conclusions: Carefully designed demonstration projects, taking into account the complex web of interconnected risk factors, are needed to provide direct proof of principle for elimination and to identify the most effective maintenance activities to prevent a rapid resurgence when interventions are scaled back. More effective, short-course treatment regimens for PKDL are urgently needed to enable the elimination initiative to succeed

Effects of participatory learning and action with women's groups, counselling through home visits and crèches on undernutrition among children under three years in eastern India: a quasi-experimental study

BACKGROUND: India faces a high burden of child undernutrition. We evaluated the effects of two community strategies to reduce undernutrition among children under 3 years in rural Jharkhand and Odisha, eastern India: (1) monthly Participatory Learning and Action (PLA) meetings with women's groups followed by home visits; (2) crèches for children aged 6 months to 3 years combined with monthly PLA meetings and home visits. METHODS: We tested these strategies in a non-randomised, controlled study with baseline and endline cross-sectional surveys. We purposively selected five blocks of Jharkhand and Odisha, and divided each block into three areas. Area 1 served as control. In Area 2, trained local female workers facilitated PLA meetings and offered counselling to mothers of children under three at home. In Area 3, workers facilitated PLA meetings, did home visits, and crèches with food and growth monitoring were opened for children aged 6 months to 3 years. We did a census across all study areas and randomly sampled 4668 children under three and their mothers for interview and anthropometry at baseline and endline. The evaluation's primary outcome was wasting among children under three in areas 2 and 3 compared with area 1, adjusted for baseline differences between areas. Other outcomes included underweight, stunting, preventive and care-seeking practices for children. RESULTS: We interviewed 83% (3868/4668) of mothers of children under three sampled at baseline, and 76% (3563/4668) at endline. In area 2 (PLA and home visits), wasting among children under three was reduced by 34% (adjusted Odds Ratio [aOR]: 0.66, 95%: 0.51-0.88) and underweight by 25% (aOR: 0.75, 95% CI: 0.59-0.95), with no change in stunting (aOR: 1.23, 95% CI: 0.96-1.57). In area 3, (PLA, home visits, crèches), wasting was reduced by 27% (aOR: 0.73, 95% CI: 0.55-0.97), underweight by 40% (aOR: 0.60, 95% CI: 0.47-0.75), and stunting by 27% (aOR: 0.73, 95% CI: 0.57-0.93). CONCLUSIONS: Crèches, PLA meetings and home visits reduced undernutrition among children under three in rural eastern India. These interventions could be scaled up through government plans to strengthen home visits and community mobilisation with Accredited Social Health Activists, and through efforts to promote crèches. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The evaluation was registered retrospectively with Current Controlled Trials as ISCRTN89911047 on 30/01/2019