STATUS OF SAFETY CONDITIONS OF THE SECONDARY SCHOOL IN THE LIGHT OF RASHTRIYA MADHYAMIK SHIKSHA ABHIYAN (RMSA)

After independence, various initiatives and strategies have played an important role in providing better education and better learning outcomes for students. Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan is a program centrally sponsored by the Ministry of Human Resources Development of India to promote secondary education in public schools throughout India. According to the RMSA guidelines, school safety conditions are an important aspect. The term ‘safety’ is comprehensive and it covers several aspects. The present study aims to investigate the present status of safety conditions in secondary schools among selected districts of West Bengal in the light of RMSA. The findings of the present study clearly show that selected secondary schools of both Nadia and Murshidabad districts have no proper safety conditions according to the guidelines of RMSA and comparatively the safety conditions are better among selected secondary schools of Nadia district than in the selected secondary schools of Murshidabad district

Physiological and Biochemical Responses to Hypoxia in the Blue Crab, Callinectes Sapidus Rathbun, the Lesser Blue Crab, Callinectes Similis Williams, and the Southern Oyster Drill, Stramonita Haemastoma Linnaeus.

This study measured the physiological and biochemical changes associated with exposure of the juvenile blue crab, Callinectes sapidus Rathbun and the lesser blue crab. C. similis Williams, to long term (28 d) hypoxia, short term (10 d) transfer from hypoxia to normoxia and a diurnally fluctuating oxygen regime for 28 days. The southern oyster drill, Stramonita haemastoma Linnaeus, was also exposed to 28 days of constant hypoxia to compare the responses of a tolerant species with the two species of Callinectes. The 28 day LC\sb{50} estimates for C. sapidus, C. similis and S. haemastoma were respectively 106, 43 and 11.5 Torr under constant hypoxic exposure for 28 d. Feeding rates for the crabs of both species exposed to 50 and 25 Torr oxygen were significantly lower than for crabs exposed to higher levels of oxygen. Growth and molting rates of crabs exposed to constant hypoxia were always lower than for crabs exposed to normoxia. Feeding rate in S. haemastoma declined linearly with declining oxygen under constant exposure to hypoxia. Oxygen consumption rates of the two crab species under various hypoxic levels were significantly different. Mean oxygen consumption in C. similis exposed to hypoxia was higher than for crabs exposed to normoxia. Rate of adaptation for blue crabs transferred from hypoxia to normoxia was faster than when transferred from normoxia to hypoxia. Detection and avoidance of hypoxic water by the two species of crabs was also observed under laboratory conditions. Both species of crabs were able to detect and avoid hypoxic water and stay at an intermediate oxygen tension. Crabs were found to be more active at higher oxygen tensions. The feeding rate of C. sapidus exposed to diurnally varying oxygen tension was significantly higher than for the crabs exposed to normoxia while the feeding rate of C. similis exposed to diurnally varying oxygen tension was significantly lower than the ones exposed to normoxia. RNA and DNA concentration decreased over time in both species of crabs exposed to diurnal variation in oxygen tension. Concentration of the individual nucleic acids were found to be a reliable measure of hypoxia stress than the RNA:DNA ratio

Errors in climate model daily precipitation and temperature output: time invariance and implications for bias correction

When correcting for biases in general circulation model (GCM) output, for example when statistically downscaling for regional and local impacts studies, a common assumption is that the GCM biases can be characterized by comparing model simulations and observations for a historical period. We demonstrate some complications in this assumption, with GCM biases varying between mean and extreme values and for different sets of historical years. Daily precipitation and maximum and minimum temperature from late 20th century simulations by four GCMs over the United States were compared to gridded observations. Using random years from the historical record we select a base set and a 10 yr independent projected set. We compare differences in biases between these sets at median and extreme percentiles. On average a base set with as few as 4 randomly-selected years is often adequate to characterize the biases in daily GCM precipitation and temperature, at both median and extreme values; 12 yr provided higher confidence that bias correction would be successful. This suggests that some of the GCM bias is time invariant. When characterizing bias with a set of consecutive years, the set must be long enough to accommodate regional low frequency variability, since the bias also exhibits this variability. Newer climate models included in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change fifth assessment will allow extending this study for a longer observational period and to finer scales

A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF RECOMMENDATIONS OF NEP 2020 TO REFORM TEACHER EDUCATION IN INDIA

National Education Policy 2020 is the third national education policy launched by the government of India on July 29, 2020. The key of this new policy is to provide quality education to every learner as well as the whole country and to highlight India's education in a world-class context. Draft of this policy has divided into four parts namely part-I (school education), part II (higher education), part III (another key area of focus) & Part IV (making it happen). The present paper focuses on teacher education which is included in part II in the area of higher education. The present study aims to critically analyze the recommendation of NPE 2020 regarding teacher education. The present study is qualitative in nature. The study ends with the conclusion that the New National Education Policy on Teacher Education will enhance the quality of teacher education and present the teacher education system in a world-class context and some constructive suggestions by the researchers for implementing the recommendations of teacher education

Genetics of seed coat color in sesame (Sesamum indicum L.)

Seed coat colour of sesame is commercially an important trait. Developing white seeded varieties with long lasting luster has received momentous attention in most of the major sesame producing countries including India. The present investigation centered on the genetic control of seed coat colour in sesame. No genetic nomenclature is available in sesame to describe seed coat colour. This is the first attempt to designate genes engendering specific seed coat colour. The findings are based on five different crosses with seed coat colour belonging to white, beige and various shades of brown colour. In general, tetragenic model corroborated with the colour combinations. The colour beige seemed to be fixable as well as suppressive over other colors. In white seeded seeds, several genes co-existed and those genes produced colored segregants in F2 generation. Two loci, Gr and I, regulated suppression or intensification of pigment production. Two major genes V and B were accountable for basic colour production. The recessive allele ‘b’ tightly linked with ‘r’, resulted into beige colour which suppressed the effect either of the loci V and B. The study of inheritance pattern of seed coat would aid to evolve varieties with specific desired seed coat color.Keywords: Genes, inheritance, seed coat colour, nomenclature and Sesamum indicum L.African Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 12(42), pp. 6061-606

Herbal antimicrobial gel with leaf extract of Cassia alata L.

Topical application of antimicrobials at the site of infection offer greater advantages as compared to systemic therapy. The present study reports for the first time, the in vivo wound healing potential of an herbal antimicrobial gel containing pure bioactive leaf extract of Cassia alata L. The methanolic leaf extract exhibited significant antibacterial and antifungal activity against the tested bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus MTCC 9542) and fungi (Candida albicans MTCC 4842) due to the presence of alcohol and ketone containing bioactive moieties. A 1% (w/w) bioactive leaf extract based-hydrogel was formulated and evaluated for its wound healing potential in rat model with surgical site infection in the dorsal area. This herbal gel significantly enhanced the wound healing as assessed by the contraction of wound length and bio burden characteristics compared to the marketed antimicrobial formulations.  The formulated herbal gel could find use as very promising and innovative topical alternative for the treatment of skin infections caused by bacteria as well as fungal strains without hazard to human health based on the fact of its traditional use by the Assamese people with no toxic effects.    Keywords: Cassia alata L.; methanolic leaf extracts; antimicrobial gel; antibacterial; antifungal; wound healin

Reducing unsafe menstrual regulation through medication in Bangladesh

The Population Council and Marie Stopes Bangladesh, in collaboration with the Directorate General of Family Planning and with funding from the World Health Organization, tested the feasibility of introducing menstrual regulation with medication (MRM) in Bangladesh and assessed the acceptability of providing MRM using the combination drug regimen mifepristone and misoprostol in urban and rural public health facilities. As reported in this policy brief, the study demonstrates that it is feasible and safe to introduce MRM in rural and urban public health facilities. Given the choice, almost two-thirds of women preferred MRM to manual vacuum aspiration and women receiving MRM reported being satisfied or very satisfied with their quality of care. The report recommends that the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and its partners work together to train providers and to procure the medical commodities to introduce MRM as an option for menstrual regulation in health facilities nationwide

The Key Role of Heavy Precipitation Events in Climate Model Disagreements of Future Annual Precipitation Changes in California

Climate model simulations disagree on whether future precipitation will increase or decrease over California, which has impeded efforts to anticipate and adapt to human-induced climate change. This disagreement is explored in terms of daily precipitation frequency and intensity. It is found that divergent model projections of changes in the incidence of rare heavy (\u3e60 mm day−1) daily precipitation events explain much of the model disagreement on annual time scales, yet represent only 0.3% of precipitating days and 9% of annual precipitation volume. Of the 25 downscaled model projections examined here, 21 agree that precipitation frequency will decrease by the 2060s, with a mean reduction of 6–14 days yr−1. This reduces California\u27s mean annual precipitation by about 5.7%. Partly offsetting this, 16 of the 25 projections agree that daily precipitation intensity will increase, which accounts for a model average 5.3% increase in annual precipitation. Between these conflicting tendencies, 12 projections show drier annual conditions by the 2060s and 13 show wetter. These results are obtained from 16 global general circulation models downscaled with different combinations of dynamical methods [Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF), Regional Spectral Model (RSM), and version 3 of the Regional Climate Model (RegCM3)] and statistical methods [bias correction with spatial disaggregation (BCSD) and bias correction with constructed analogs (BCCA)], although not all downscaling methods were applied to each global model. Model disagreements in the projected change in occurrence of the heaviest precipitation days (\u3e60 mm day−1) account for the majority of disagreement in the projected change in annual precipitation, and occur preferentially over the Sierra Nevada and Northern California. When such events are excluded, nearly twice as many projections show drier future conditions

Probabilistic estimates of future changes in California temperature and precipitation usingstatistical and dynamical downscaling

Sixteen global general circulation models were used to develop probabilistic projections of temperature (T) and precipitation (P) changes over California by the 2060s. The global models were downscaled with two statistical techniques and three nested dynamical regional climate models, although not all global models were downscaled with all techniques. Both monthly and daily timescale changes in T and P are addressed, the latter being important for a range of applications in energy use, water management, and agriculture. The T changes tend to agree more across downscaling techniques than the P changes. Year-to-year natural internal climate variability is roughly of similar magnitude to the projected T changes. In the monthly average, July temperatures shift enough that that the hottest July found in any simulation over the historical period becomes a modestly cool July in the future period. Januarys as cold as any found in the historical period are still found in the 2060s, but the median and maximum monthly average temperatures increase notably. Annual and seasonal P changes are small compared to interannual or intermodel variability. However, the annual change is composed of seasonally varying changes that are themselves much larger, but tend to cancel in the annual mean. Winters show modestly wetter conditions in the North of the state, while spring and autumn show less precipitation. The dynamical downscaling techniques project increasing precipitation in the Southeastern part of the state, which is influenced by the North American monsoon, a feature that is not captured by the statistical downscaling

Eye diseases: the neglected health condition among urban slum population of Dhaka, Bangladesh

Introduction: Globally, eye diseases are considered as one of the major contributors of nonfatal disabling conditions. In Bangladesh, 1.5% of adults are blind and 21.6% have low vision. Therefore, this paper aimed to identify the community-based prevalence and associated risk factors of eye diseases among slum dwellers of Dhaka city. Methods: The study was carried out in two phases. In the first phase, a survey was conducted using multistage cluster sampling among 1320 households of three purposively selected slums in Dhaka city. From each household, one family member (≥ 18 years old) was randomly interviewed by trained data collectors using a structured questionnaire. After that, each of the participants was requested to take part in the second phase of the study. Following the request, 432 participants out of 1320 participants came into the tertiary care hospitals where they were clinically assessed by ophthalmologist for presence of eye diseases. A number of descriptive and inferential statistics were performed using Stata 13. Result: The majority of total 432 study participants were female (68.6%), married (82.6%) and Muslim (98.8%). Among them almost all (92.8%) were clinically diagnosed with eye disease. The most prevalent eye diseases were refractive error (63.2%), conjunctivitis (17.1%), visual impairment (16.4%) and cataract (7.2%). Refractive error was found significantly associated with older age, female gender and income generating work. Cataract was found negatively associated with the level of education, however, opposite relationship was found between cataract and visual impairment. Conclusion: Our study provides epidemiologic data on the prevalence of eye diseases among adult population in low-income urban community of Dhaka city. The high prevalence of refractive error, allergic conjunctivitis, visual impairment, and cataract among this group of people suggests the importance of increasing access to eye care services