Dynamics of socio-economic factors affecting climate vulnerability and technology adoption: Evidence from Jodhpur district of Rajasthan

Climate change and extreme weather fluctuations are the most threatening challenges to the farming communities especially in semi-arid tropics. The paper investigates socio-economic factors affecting vulnerability and adoption of innovations using micro-level survey data of 100 systematically selected farmers in the Jodhpur district of Rajasthan, India. The results reveal that higher income, irrigation and provision of seeds reduce climate vulnerability to a great extent. Several farm level strategies have been adopted by the farmers against climate induced stress, including change in cropping pattern, reduction in irrigation usage, use of drips and sprinklers and water conservation. In case of pearl millet cropping system, we found that adoption of wide row spacing is significantly influenced by the level of the farmer’s education, land size category, climate awareness and trainings programs. The study suggests that diversified crop sequence involving pearl millet-wheat-cluster bean-barley-onion, farmers’ adoption of suitable adaptation strategies and climate resilient technologies will improve with better awareness, education and farm governance with regard to climate change. Moreover, technologies especially indigenous ones suitable to the local contextual needs must be developed or fine-tuned and disseminated for reducing climate-induced vulnerability

Grassroots farmers’ perceptions on climate change and adaptation in arid region of Rajasthan

Understanding farmers’ perspectives to climate change and adaptation is essential in designing effective and informed strategies to combat the associated vulnerability. The study assessed farmers’ perceptions to changing climatic conditions, their impacts, adaptation measures and constraints to adaptation in Bikaner district of Rajasthan. Our results showed that farmers perceived change in the distribution of rainfall, rise in temperature, increase in frequency of heat waves and droughts in the region. Further, degradation of common property resources, uncertainty in crop yields, increased soil salinity, farm unemployment and reduction in consumption were some of the potential non-climatic impacts as perceived by the farmers. As climate adaptation measures, farmers resorted to disease/heat tolerant varieties, plant protection chemicals and water conservation techniques. Moreover, lack of access to institutional credit, poorly defined property rights, inadequate infrastructure and information gaps were some of the major barriers to climate adaptation in the region. The study provides a useful guide for identifying region-specific issues and implementable adaptation strategies. Policy actions are needed in creating awareness, improving climate information services and development of infrastructure for climate resilient farming

Morphometry analysis of psoriasis and psoriasiform dermatitis: A retrospective study of 50 cases

Background: Clinical and histomorphological features of psoriasis and its close mimickers have many overlapping features. The diagnostic differentiation of psoriasis from other psoriasiform eruptions enables treatment as per the extent of eruptions and modified according to the tissues involved and associated co morbidities. Morphometric analysis of histopathological features may help to alleviate this dilemma. Aim: This study attempts to evaluate the morphometric measurements using eye-piece micrometer in differentiating psoriasis from psoriaform dermatitis. Materials and Methods: The 50 cases, 25 each of clinically and histologically confirmed cases of psoriasis and psoriasiform dermatitis were compared by using measurable morphometric parameters. The results were statistically analyzed for significance. Results: Length of rete pegs, length of dermal papillae and the ratio of length/average width of rete pegs showed statistically significant increase in psoriasis when compared to psoriaform dermatitis. Suprapapillary thickness had less significance. Some other important histomorphological parameters were also compared. Conclusion: The length of rete pegs, the length of dermal papillae and the ratio of length/average width of rete pegs are statistically more significant in the diagnosis of psoriasis when compared to psoriasiform dermatitis

Development of efficient designs of cooking systems. II. Computational fluid dynamics and optimization

Sections 2-6 of Part I were devoted to the analysis of heat transfer characteristics of cookers. In all the experiments, only water was employed as a working medium. Now, we extend such an analysis to the actual cooking process in order to arrive at an improved cooking device. The major strategies for the optimization of energy utilization is to design appropriate insulation that has been obtained by two cover vessels. In order to select an air gap, the flow and temperature patterns in the air gap have been extensively analyzed using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). The flow pattern and heat transfer in cooking pots have also been analyzed by CFD. This has enabled us to design suitable internals for minimizing the stratification of temperature. The understanding of fluid mechanics has also given basis for selection of heat flux, gap between burner tip and cooker bottom, and temperature of flue gases leaving the cooker. Chemical engineering principles have been used for modeling and optimization. Kinetics have been obtained in batch cookers. The knowledge of kinetics, thermal mixing, axial mixing, and optimum selection of insulation have been employed for the development of continuous cookers. The continuous mode of operation also helps in saving of energy. Systematic data have been collected for the design and scale up of continuous cookers. © 2011 American Chemical Society