Fluctuations in canal water supplies: a case study

Irrigation management / Water allocation / Canals / Water distribution / Water supply / Performance evaluation / Irrigated farming / Irrigation systems / Pakistan / Chishtian Sub-Division / Fordwah Distributary

Method on Anaerobic Biogas Generation From Cow Dung and Water Hyacinth With Reference to Quality of Gas and it’s Effect on Public Surroundings

Under the right conditions, liquid manure will break down into biogas and a low-odor effluent. Biogas can be burned to produce heat, electricity, or both the anaerobically-digested manure, can be stored and applied to fields with significantly less odor than stored, untreated liquid manure. Anaerobic digestion does not reduce the volume or nutrient value of manure. If dilution water is added to the system, the volume of material to handle is increased.The following test can help you determine if anaerobic digestion is a viable option for your farm. If most of the following statements describe your farm, anaerobic digestion may be compatible with your operation.Manure is currently handled as a liquid. Very little bedding or frozen manure is handled and the manure in the handling system is free from high levels of copper sulfate and antibiotics.Odor control is a major concern.There is space on the farm to expand the manure handling system with the possibility for gravity flow from a barn to an anaerobic digester or from a digester to a manure storage.Someone on the farm has the interest, time, and technical skills to learn about the anaerobic digestion process, make repairs, and perform general maintenance on equipment.Resources are available to finance an anaerobic digestion system.Adhering to recommended safety practices is standard procedure on the farm

Synthetic and Biocidal Studies of Zn-Hydrazone Complexes

A series of hydrazone derivatives were synthesized through multi-step reactions. The 2-(2-oxo-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinoline-7-yloxy)acetohydrazide was prepared from 7-hydroxy-3,4-dihydroquinolin-2(1H)-one as starting material. Then the condensation of 2-(2-oxo-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinoline-7-yloxy)acetohydrazide with different o-hydroxyaldehyde derivatives yielded into hydrazone derivatives . These hydrazone ligands were complexed with Zn (II) yielded complexes . The molecular structures of the hydrazones and Zn (II) complexes were characterized by FTIR, 1H and 13C NMR, LCMS, XRD, DSC-TGA, UV–Visible, Fluorescence and elemental analysis. The conductivity experiments showed that all the complexes are non-electrolytes. This is the first comprehensive review of the biological activity of hydrazone-transition metal complexes. Hydrazone complexes gained much attention because of their antifugial, antibacterial anticonvulsant, and analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antimalarial, antimicrobial, antituberculosis, anticancer, and antiviral activities. Additionally, some of the hydrazone complexes were used in treatment of iron overload diseases. One application, which reflects the importance of hydrazone complexes, is their use in detection and determination of metals and some organic constituents in pharmaceutical formulations.The Zn-hydrazone complexes also have biocidal properties

Effects of environmental and animal factors on conception rate at the time of insemination of shahiwal cattle in dry zone of Sri Lanka.

Study was conducted to assess the relationship of environmental and animal (cow) factors on conception rate at the time of insemination onSahiwal cattle and their crosses inBatticaloa District (dry zone) of Sri Lanka. Breedable female Sahiwal cattle and their crosses (204) were used in this study. All cows were artificially inseminated (AI) and selected 40 cows were used for the synchronization using PGF2α injection. Data on cow such as age, breed, parity, post-partum period (PPP) and milk yield were collected from the available records.Environmental temperature (ET), relative humidity (RH), rectal temperature (RT), respiratory rate (RR), body condition score (BCS), heat sign score and time interval between first detection of heat and the insemination were recorded at the time of insemination.Conception rate was assessed by per-rectal palpation at 90-120 days post insemination. The mean ± SD of the environmental temperature (ET) and the relative humidity (RH) at the time of insemination were 28.12 ± 2.08 0C and 77.29 ± 5.64%, respectively. Environmental Temperature (ET) at the period of insemination was (p<0.05) negatively correlated with the relative humidity. The overall conception rate (57.25%) was effected by ET>29ºC, RH>85% and RT>38ºC. Cattle those were supposed to be with the BCS of 3 and the intense of heat signs and used for synchronization had higher conception rate (p<0.05). The results recommended that the conception rate of cattle is significantly affected by the hot thermal environment, poor energy nutrition and the management practices. Synchronization increases the possibility of heat detection. Hence, inseminating healthy cows during the high heat sign by the skilful AI technician under the suitable environmental condition can improve the conception rate in breedable cows

Contemporary Prevalence of Byssinosis in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Systematic Review

We aimed to identify the contemporary prevalence of byssinosis through a systematic review. Medline, Web of Science, Embase, and Global Health databases were used to identify studies published in any language between 2000 and 2019, reporting primary data on byssinosis among adults. We used the Joanna Briggs Institute checklist to estimate the risk of bias in studies and undertook a qualitative, narrative data analysis. The review considered the prevalence of byssinosis, chest tightness, and airflow obstruction in textile workers in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). We found 26 relevant studies that included 6930 workers across 12 countries. Most of the studies (n = 19) were from Asia, and seven from African countries. Twenty-five studies were cross-sectional surveys while one was a cohort study. The prevalence of byssinosis was reported by 18 studies, and ranged from 8% to 38%, without any clear associations, at the group level, between the prevalence of byssinosis and durations of workers’ exposures. Prevalence of chest tightness ranged between 4% and 58% and that of airflow obstruction between 10% and 30%. A strong correlation (r = 0.72) was found between prevalence of byssinosis and cotton dust levels. Our findings indicate that byssinosis remains a significant, contemporary problem in some parts of the textile sector in LMICs

Situation analysis of child labour in Karachi, Pakistan: A qualitative study

In Karachi, large employment opportunities, burgeoning population and the availability of cheap labour might be the contributing factors for the increasing prevalence of child labour. A literature review was conducted in 2007 that included published and unpublished literature since 2000. Various organizations working in the field were also covered, while the perception of the child labourers was covered through three focus group discussions. Common health issues among the child labourers in Karachi included respiratory illnesses, fever and generalised pains, as well as drug and sexual abuse. Organisations working for child labour could be broadly categorised into those working for legal advice and advocacy; those generating statistics; and those that are providing interventions. Discussion with children showed that irrespective of the immediate cause, the underlying determinant for child labour was poverty. The best practices identified included evening schools and drop-in centers for working children with provision for skill-based education and basic health facilities. There is need to have more such centres

Violence and abuse among working children in urban and suburban areas of lower Sindh, Pakistan

Background: Child labourers are exposed to an insecure environment and higher risk of violence. Violence among child labourers is an under-studied phenomenon which requires contextual assessment.Aims: We applied Bronfenbrenner\u27s ecological model (micro-, exo- and macro-system) to understand the interplay of individual, community, societal and policy context fuelling violence.Methods: Focus group discussions and family ethnographies of child-labourers working in common occupational sectors of suburban areas of Sindh were carried out to gain in-depth understanding of their immediate environment and abuse (micro-system). Frequency of emotional, physical and sexual violence (5-14 years; n = 634) was also determined. Indepth interviews with employers (exo-system, n = 4) and key-informant-interviews of prominent stakeholders in Pakistan (macro-system, n = 4) working against labour/violence were carried out Thematic-content analysis was performed using MAXQDA, version 8.0.Results: We estimated that 21%, 19% and 9% of children suffered from emotional, physical and sexual violence respectively. Child labourers\u27 interviews indicated the existence of all forms of abuse at home and in the workplace; sexual violence by grandfathers was highlighted (micro-system). Children reported frequent scolding and insults in the workplace along with physical violence that could be fatal (exo-system). The legal environment of violence in Pakistan was considered deficient as it did not address the hidden forms (touching, kissing, etc.; macro-system).Conclusion: We documented that all forms of violence were rampant among the child labourers, and improved efforts and comprehensive legislation is direly needed to alleviate the situation

Synthesis of heterogeneous catalyst for the production of biodiesel from soybean oil

This study explore the comparison of a suitable heterogeneous catalyst for conversion of triglyceride into fatty acid methyl ester. A series of heterogeneous cerium, manganese, and zinc oxide catalyst supported at mixture of cinder was prepared by co-precipitation and applied for conversion of triglyceride in oil to biodiesel using methanol as solvent. Results showed that a maximum TG conversion of 99% was obtained in the transesterification reaction catalyzed by CeSO4+MnSO4+K2CO3  catalyst calcinated in 5 h at 600oC under the optimal conditions as catalyst amount of 3%, Ce:Mn:K molar ratio of 1:1:1. The catalytic activity of catalyst at 70 ºC reaction temperature was over 90% after 6h. The experimental data were satisfactorily predicted at 99% confidence level. However, due to high and efficient yield CeSO4+MnSO4+K2CO3 catalyst was identified as the most potential catalyst.Keywords: biodiesel fuel; heterogeneous; trans-esterification; rare earth metals; eco-friendly regent; used oi

Corrosion Inhibition at Mild Steel Surface in Acidic Media by Ziziphus Jujuba Plant

The effect of Ziziphus jujuba extract on the corrosion inhibition of mild steel in acidic solution was studied using chemical and electrochemical techniques. It was found from the results of weight loss method that the inhibition efficiency increased with increase in the plant extract up to 15 ppm. It indicates that 15 ppm is the optimum concentration to get maximum corrosion protection for mild steel in acidic medium. The results obtained from the chemical and electrochemical measurements are in good agreement. Organic moieties present in the extract are found responsible for effective performance of inhibitor which was well supported by FTIR studies. The potentio dynamic polarization studies revealed that the plant extract acts as mixed type inhibitors. The surface characteristics of the inhibited and uninhibited mild steel were investigated by Scanning Electron Microscopic studies

Recommendations: Putting an end to child labour in Pakistan!

Child labour is rampant in Pakistan since ages. Laws, policies, programmes and strategies to eliminate child labour have been in place with little gain. Implementation of laws and sustainability of programmes offer barriers to eliminate the menace. We recommend a new approach of regulating child labour as a strategy to eliminate it in the longer run. Model districts with drop-in-centres offering free education to the working children should be constructed. The key stakeholders should unite on a common platform to formulate guidelines defining the nature and duration of work for children in various sectors such that they have sufficient time to visit the drop-incentres. Once a generation of children is educated, the cycle will start to break itself and gradually we will overcome child labour