Evaluation of socio-economic status of the skilled and unskilled workers of an organic farm of Himachal Pradesh, India- A case study

In this study, an attempt was made to study the socio-economic status of the workers engaged in organic farming. The various healthy practices under organic farming like compost production, use of bio-pesticides, crop rotations, etc. increases soil health and quality of the food. The organic practices including Homa bhasm, Agnihotra and Biodynamic farming besides promoting healthy agriculture are expected to have seeming effects on behavioral aspects of the farm workers. However, apparently systemic information on social attributes of organic farm is still limited. The socio- economic aspects of an organic farm CSKHPKV, Palampur were documented through structured questionnaires. The data was analyzed by the use of indices, ratios and percentages. The various aspects as family structure and size, age distribution, caste structure, literacy level, occupational pattern, economic status behavioral aspects were evaluated. The skilled workers had nuclear family while unskilled workers had joint families, larger portion of workers in the organic farm belonged to younger age group (31 years), literacy index was high (4.32) in case of skilled workers while low (3.23) for unskilled workers. It was observed that in case of skilled workers majority of individuals were positively affected through increased farming knowledge, better wage rate, improved ethical and spiritual thinking while in case of unskilled workers no obvious positive reaction was observed for farming knowledge and wage rate though there was perceptible change in punctuality and spiritual thinking. &nbsp

Ethno-botanical survey for wild plants in fringe villages around Shimla Water Catchment Sanctuary, Himachal Pradesh, India

In this study an ethno-botanical survey was carried out in the fringe villages located at the periphery of Shimla Water Catchment Sanctuary. As the sanctuary area is not completely fenced the villagers have an access inside the sanctuary. An attempt was made to prepare a document of important flora and information from local community about their ethnic uses. The indigenous knowledge of local traditional uses was collected by personal interviews during field trips. Plants with their correct nomenclature were arranged by family name, vernacular name, part use, ethno-botanical remedies and uses. Plants having uses in medicine, ornamental, fodder and many other were studied. The study was entirely focused on revealing the medicinal potential possessed by the plants growing wild in this area and their sustainability for the betterment of mankind

Effect of bio-composts on soil fertility status and productivity of organic farm: An approach to promote sustainable agriculture

The findings of this research provide information on various approaches to manage and maintain soil fertility for organic crop production through composting. The initial recorded data pertaining to various conventional farming practices showed very low soil fertility status, low productivity before the initiation of organic farming. In the year prior to 2006 pH was low (4.10) and it increased to 5.40 by 2006-07. Organic carbon percentage increased to 1.35 in 2006-07 and the value of phosphorus was very low in the previous year but increased in the year 2006-07 (6.00 Kg/ha) while Potassium value increased in the year 2006-07 (395.00 Kg/ha). Input use pattern of various composts was also evaluated and it was observed that higher rates of FYM was used in case of maize-wheat+gram (614.31q/ha) in 2006-07 while higher rates of vermicompost was used in case of soybean-pea system i.e 111.11 q/ha for the year 2006-07. It was found that in the year 2006-07, among the cereals, yield of wheat was the highest (15.56 q/ha), among pulses soybean dominated (13.04 q/ha). The yield of potato (74.88 q/ha) was the highest among vegetable crops. For the year 2007-08, the yield of wheat+ lentil was the highest (10.86 q/ha). Among the pulses again yield of soybean was the highest (6.14 q/ha) and potato showed the highest yield among vegetables (73.88 q/ha). It showed that the application of compost had direct effect on productivity as the application of compost in the year 2007-08 decreased the productivity decreased subsequently as compared to initial year i.e 2006-07

A study on phenological traits of Abies pindrow (Royle) Spach. in the different sites of Garhwal Himalayas, India

Phenology, the timing of various events in a species life cycle, is an important life history trait for both plants and animals. Dharali site situated in the highest altitudinal range i.e. 2800-3300 m above msl and showed the initiation of all the phenological characteristics i.e. leaf fall, leaf emergence, appearance of male and female strobili, pollination, cone maturation and seed dispersal in advance as compared to all the other sites. The comparison of the two years phenological data in all the sites (Mundali, Bhukki, Dheoban, Dharali) showed that in the year 2013 early leaf emergence, prolonged cone maturity and early seed dispersal were observed. Rise in temperature and change in climate in mountainous regions has caused the tree line to advance to higher elevations as temperatures have increased over the past few decades. In addition to changing their spatial distributions, plants are also chang-ing their temporal niches

Taking a leaf from Jantri for traditional medicament- an ancient manuscript in Tankri

The present paper highlights the importance vis-à-vis plight of a traditional script Tankri of Chamba, Himachal Pradesh. Through surveys in 70 villages that involved interviews with 550 residents, only one respondent was found to be versed in it. He uses an ancient manuscript named Jantri, scripted in Tankri, for prescribing medicines. Interactions and literature review revealed that Tankri was once a princely script of Chamba that now has no takers. Tankri originated from the Brahmic family of scripts and the Jantri holds information on uses of natural resources for curing human and animal related ailments. A total of 32 resources that include 24 of plant origin, 3 of animal origin, and 5 minerals were used for making formulations to cure a total of 13 diseases. Writing amulets in Tankri on tree bark using traditional ink was found to be a characteristic of the region. Unfortunately, the script is fast disappearing and so is the knowledge associated with it. Its disappearance would be a great loss to mankind. It is high time that conservation and decoding of such scripts is prioritized. Developing a database of knowledge holders and digitizing the information recorded in Tankri may be the starting point of this

City Know-How

Human health and planetary health are influenced by city lifestyles, city leadership, and city development. For both, worrying trends are leading to increasing concern and it is imperative that human health and environmental impacts become core foci in urban policy. Changing trajectory will require concerted action; the journal Cities & Health is dedicated to supporting the flow of knowledge, in all directions, to help make this happen. We wish to foster communication between researchers, practitioners, policy-makers, communities, and decision-makers in cities. This is the purpose of the City Know-how section of the journal. ‘Research for city practice’ disseminates lessons from research by explaining key messages for city leaders, communities, and the professions involved in city policy and practice. ‘City shorts’ provide glimpses of what is being attempted or achieved ‘on the ground’ and ’case studies’ are where you will find evaluations of interventions. Last, ‘Commentary and debate’ extends conversations we are having to develop and mobilize much needed new thinking. Join in these conversations. In order to strengthen the community of interest, we would like to include many and varied voices, including those from younger practitioners and researchers who are supporting health and health equity in everyday urban lives

Ethnobotanical knowledge among the semi-pastoral Gujjar tribe in the high altitude (Adhwari’s) of Churah subdivision, district Chamba, Western Himalaya

Abstract Background The wild plants not only form an integral part of the culture and traditions of the Himalayan tribal communities but also contribute largely to the sustenance of these communities. The tribal people use large varieties of wild fruits, vegetables, fodder, medicinal plants, etc. for meeting their day-to-day requirements. The present study was conducted in Churah subdivision of district Chamba where large populations of Muslim Gujjars inhabit various remote villages. These tribal people are semi-pastoralists, and they seasonally (early summers) migrate to the upper altitudes (Adhwari’s) along with their cattle and return to permanent settlements before the onset of winters. A major source of subsistence of these tribal people is on natural resources to a wide extent, and thus, they have wide ethnobotanical knowledge. Therefore, the current study was aimed to report the ethnobotanical knowledge of plants among the Gujjar tribe in Churah subdivision of district Chamba, Himachal Pradesh. Methods Extensive field surveys were conducted in 15 remote villages dominant in Gujjar population from June 2016 to September 2017. The Gujjars of the area having ethnobotanical knowledge of the plants were interrogated especially during their stay at the higher altitudes (Adhwari’s) through well-structured questionnaires, interviews, and group meetings. The data generated was examined using quantitative tools such as use value, fidelity, and informant consensus factor (F ic). Results This study reveals 83 plants belonging to 75 genera and 49 families that were observed to have ethnobotanical uses. Plants were listed in five categories as per their use by the Gujjars, i.e. food plants, fruit plants, fodder plants, household, and ethnomedicinal plants. The leaves, fruits, and roots were the most commonly used plant parts in the various preparations. The highest number of plants was recorded from the family Rosaceae followed by Polygonaceae and Betulaceae. On the basis of use value (UV), the most important plants in the study area were Pteridium aquilinum, Juglans regia, Corylus jacquemontii, Urtica dioica, Diplazium maximum, and Angelica glauca. Maximum plant species (32) were reported for ethnomedicinal uses followed by food plants (22 species), household purposes (16 species), edible fruits (15 species), and as fodder plants (14 species). The agreement of the informants conceded the most from the use of various plants used as food plants and fruit plants (F ic = 0.99), followed by fodder plants and household uses (F ic = 0.98) while it was least for the use of plants in ethnomedicine (F ic = 0.97). The fidelity value varied from 8 to 100% in all the use categories. Phytolacca acinosa (100%), Stellaria media (100%), and Urtica dioica (100%) were among the species with high fidelity level used as food plants, while the important species used as fruit plants in the study area were Berberis lycium (100%), Prunus armeniaca (100%), and Rubus ellipticus (100%). Some important fodder plants with high fidelity values (100%) were Acer caesium, Aesculus indica, Ailanthus altissima, and Quercus semecarpifolia. The comparison of age interval with the number of plant use revealed the obvious transfer of traditional knowledge among the younger generation, but it was mostly concentrated in the informants within the age group of 60–79 years. Conclusions Value addition and product development of wild fruit plants can provide an alternate source of livelihood for the rural people. The identification of the active components of the plants used by the people may provide some useful leads for the development of new drugs which can help in the well-being of mankind. Thus, bioprospection, phytochemical profiling, and evaluation of economically viable products can lead to the optimum harnessing of Himalayan bioresources in this region

Amalgamation of nano and 3-D printing technology: Design, optimization, and assessment

Personalized medicine is the need of today's era, as one therapy does not fit all. The study aims to develop a novel patient-customized formulation using the integration of 3-D printing and Nanotechnology concepts. Valsartan (VLS) was chosen as a model drug for the study due to its poor bioavailability and dose-dependent toxicity. The Polycaprolactone (PCL)-VLS bionanoparticles (PCVBio) were formulated using a modified solvent evaporation method, inculcating the approach of Quality by Design (QbD). The amount of PCL and Polaxomer-188 (PLX) significantly influenced the PCVBio properties, which central composite design (CCD) ascertained. The results of DSC confirm the conversion of crystalline to amorphous structure. The zeta potential, PDI, and particle size ensure stability and nano size. The optimized PCVBio was further loaded into the multi-channel 3-D printed tablet (M3DPT). M3DPT was formulated by the fused deposition modeling method. The process parameters,% infill, and layer height significantly influenced the tablet's quality. The PCVbio M3DPT was able to release the VLS up to 12 h. The optimal formulation was found stable and effective. The new conjugated advanced formulation will improve the effectiveness, safety, and patient adherence. It unlocks the new research direction toward improving patients' lives

Safety and efficacy of vitamin-based antioxidant therapy in patients with severe acute pancreatitis: A randomized controlled trial

Background/Aim: Oxidative stress plays a major role in the pathogenesis of pancreatitis. Antioxidant therapy in the form of high-dose vitamin has been used for the treatment of severe acute pancreatitis with equivocal results. We wished to evaluate the efficacy and safety of antioxidant (vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E) therapy in patients with severe acute pancreatitis. Setting and design: This was a single-center, prospective, randomized, open-label with blinded endpoint assessment study of antioxidant therapy, conducted in the emergency department attached to our hospital. Materials and Methods: Thirty-nine patients with severe acute pancreatitis were randomly assigned to antioxidant treatment group (n=19) or a control group (n=20) within 96 hours of developing symptoms. Patients in the antioxidant group received antioxidants (vitamin A, vitamin E, vitamin C) in addition to the standard treatment provided to both the groups for a period of 14 days. The primary outcome variable was presence of organ dysfunction at day 7. The secondary outcome variables were length of hospital stay, multiorgan dysfunction (MODS) at day 7, recovery at the end of 4 weeks, complications, and mortality. The change in markers of oxidative stress from baseline was also measured. Results: We demonstrated no significant difference in organ dysfunction (P=1.0), MODS (P=0.8), and length of hospital stay (P=0.29) between the two groups. All the patients survived in the antioxidant-treated group, whereas two patients died in the control group. The change in the levels of malondialdehyde, superoxide dismutase, and reduced glutathione were not significantly different in the two groups at day 7. Univariate analysis showed marginal benefit with antioxidant treatment (P=0.034) in patients with severe acute pancreatitis. Conclusions: This randomized study demonstrates that there is no significant benefit from antioxidant therapy in patients with established severe acute pancreatitis

Formulation and Optimization of Polymeric Nanoparticles for Intranasal Delivery of Lorazepam Using Box-Behnken Design: In Vitro and In Vivo Evaluation

The aim of the present study was to optimize lorazepam loaded PLGA nanoparticles (Lzp-PLGA-NPs) by investigating the effect of process variables on the response using Box-Behnken design. Effect of four independent factors, that is, polymer, surfactant, drug, and aqueous/organic ratio, was studied on two dependent responses, that is, z-average and % drug entrapment. Lzp-PLGA-NPs were successfully developed by nanoprecipitation method using PLGA as polymer, poloxamer as surfactant and acetone as organic phase. NPs were characterized for particle size, zeta potential, % drug entrapment, drug release behavior, TEM, and cell viability. Lzp-PLGA-NPs were characterized for drug polymer interaction using FTIR. The developed NPs showed nearly spherical shape with z-average 167–318 d·nm, PDI below 0.441, and −18.4 mV zeta potential with maximum % drug entrapment of 90.1%. In vitro drug release behavior followed Korsmeyer-Peppas model and showed initial burst release of 21.7±1.3% with prolonged drug release of 69.5±0.8% from optimized NPs up to 24 h. In vitro drug release data was found in agreement with ex vivo permeation data through sheep nasal mucosa. In vitro cell viability study on Vero cell line confirmed the safety of optimized NPs. Optimized Lzp-PLGA-NPs were radiolabelled with Technitium-99m for scintigraphy imaging and biodistribution studies in Sprague-Dawley rats to establish nose-to-brain pathway