Development and prototyping of an innovative design for automatic paper bag making machine

The Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2021, already prohibit the manufacture, import, stocking, distribution, sale, and use of plastic carry bags having a thickness of less than 75 microns. They also provide for a ban on plastic carry bags with a thickness of less than 120 microns as of December 31, 2022. So, there is an increasing demand for paper bags. The already existing paper bag-making machines are expensive and consume 25-50 square meters for their operation. A machine whose initial cost is less, which does not require large space consumption and operates with simple technologies, can be used for small-scale production. This will help the manufacturer earn money through the small-scale production of paper bags. The demand for paper bags is continuously increasing, so this project aims to develop an economical and easily fabricable machine with simple methods that promote the use of paper bags instead of plastic carry bags and helps reduce the impact on the environment

Barriers to expansion of mass literacy and primary schooling in West Bengal : a study based on primary data from selected villages

This paper examines factors affecting literacy and access to school education in West Bengal, India, and reports the results of a binomial probit model estimated with primary data from ten villages of West Bengal. In the analysis of adult literacy, the significant variables were sex, caste and occupational status and village location. In the probit results for educational achievements of children of ages 6 to 16 years in the same villages, however, occupational status was not statistically significant. In contemporary West Bengal, we argue, class barriers to school attendance have become less significant; other features of educational deprivation persist. Key words: Education, literacy, India, West Bengal JEL Classification: I

How have hired workers fared? : a case study of women workers from an Indian village, 1977 to 1999

This paper examines certain aspects of employment among women workers in hired labour households, drawing on two surveys of Gokilapuram, a village in south-west Tamil Nadu, India, conducted in 1977 and 1999. The study finds that, first, work participation rates among women were high. Secondly, a woman was able to gain employment in 1999, on average, for only about six months a year. Thirdly, there was a distinct shift between 1977 and 1999 in the composition of total employment available to women Fourthly, while the real wage rate for women at cash-paid, daily-rated crop operations rose significantly between 1977 and 1999, the gender gap in wages widened. JEL Classification: J2, J3, J11 Key words: women, agriculture, wages, work participation rate, Asia, Indi

Analysis of genetic diversity among tropical and subtropical maize inbred lines using SSR markers

Genetic diversity of 24 tropical and subtropical elite maize lines was assessed at molecular level employ-ing 42 Simple Sequence Repeats. A total of 107 alleles with an average of 2.55 alleles per locus were detected. The Polymorphism Information Content (PIC) values of 42 SSR loci ranged from 0.08 (UMC1428) to 0.68 (UMC2189 and UMC2332) with the overall calculated PIC mean value of 0.44, whereas the Discrimination Rate (DR) value for SSR markers ranged from 0.09 (UMC2089) to 0.42 (UMC1311) with the average DR value of 0.26. Pair-wise genet-ic similarity (GS) values, calculated by Jaccard’s coefficients, ranged between 0.25 and 0.78 with a mean genetic similarity of 0.63, indicating the existence of adequate amount of genetic divergence among the genotypes selected for the study. The cluster dendrogram separated all the inbred lines into six main clusters with sub clusters based on genetic similarity. Factorial analysis also confirmed a nearly similar pattern for grouping these inbred lines as pre-sented by cluster dendrogram. In this study, SSR markers were found to be powerful tool for detection of genetic diversity in maize inbred lines. These findings could provide information for effective utilization of these materials for development of maize hybrids as well as for genetic improvement of inbred lines

RECENT TRENDS IN MANAGEMENT OF KERATOCONJUNCTIVITIS SICCA (DRY EYE DISEASE)

At the air-water interface, the tear film lipid layer (TFLL), a combination of lipids and proteins plays an important role in surface tension of the tear and is necessary for the physiological hydration of the ocular surface and maintenance of ocular homeostasis. Alteration in lacrimal fluid rheology, differences in lipid constitution or down regulation of particular tear proteins are found in maximum types of ocular surface disease including dry eye disease (DED). Dry eye is a disorder of the tear film due to tear deficiency or excessive tear evaporation, which causes damage to the interpalpebral ocular surface and is associated with symptoms of discomfort. It results in changes on the ocular surface epithelia causing reduced tear quantity and surface sensitivity which leads to inflammation reactions. Managing this inflammation is very helpful in dry eye disease patients. In this article we revise the current understanding of tear film properties, ocular surface and review the effectiveness of topically applied tear supplements, thermo sensitive atelocollagen punctal plug, subtrasal ultrasonic transducers, novel liposome based gelling tear formation and insulin based ophthalmic delivery systems which help in restoring the healthy tear film

Ground and surface water quality assessment of Palladam Taluk using Geographical Information System and Modified National Sanitation Foundation -Water Quality Index

In this work, the assessment of surface and ground water quality of Palladam Taluk, Tiruppur, district, Tamil Nadu, India were carried out using Geographical Information System (GIS) and Modified National Sanitation Foundation -Water Quality Index (MNSF-WQI). Four samples from surface and twenty seven samples from ground water sources were taken from Palladam Taluk, Tiruppur District. In the current study, the surface and ground water samples were analysed for temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen (DO), electrical conductivity (EC), biological oxygen demand (BOD), turbidity, total dissolved solids (TDS), total hardness (TH), faecal coliforms (FC), total phosphate (TP), total nitrate (TN), chlorides (Cl-), sodium (Na+) and fluoride (F-) ions to investigate the suitability of surface and ground water for drinking and agricultural purposes through Geographic information system (GIS) and modified national sanitation foundation water quality index (MNSF-WQI) technique. The concentrations of TH, TDS, Cl- and Na+ were observed to be above the desirable limit of World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines and Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). whereas F-, BOD, DO, EC, TP, TN, FC and temperature were within the acceptable limits. The GIS-based WQI map analysis indicated that 45% of the study area having good water quality index and the remaining area showed medium quality water. Dyeing and textile industries in the study area are responsible for deteriorating the quality to medium quality of water which was not appropriate for direct utilization and needed prior treatment. There is no detailed report on assessment of the surface and ground water quality of Palladam Taluk in Tamil Nadu using GIS and MNSF-WQI techniques

Impact of poultry manure on fruit quality attributes and nutrient status of guava (Psidium guajava.) cv. L 49 plant

Management of nutrients in guava refers (Psisdium guajava L.) to maintenance of the soil fertility and plant nutrient supply to an optimum level for sustaining the desired crop productivity and fruit quality through optimization of benefits from all the possible sources in an integrated manner. Qualitative and quantitative attributes of guava fruit cv. Lucknow 49 were analyzed with the aim of corresponding the nutrients to the quality of the fruit where fertilizer dose of N were manipulated in different treatments. Soil and leaf study were conducted to analyze the status of nutrients in guava. The pooled analysis of two year data indicated that after fruit harvest the highest soil organic carbon (0.72%) was obtained with the treatment comprising (Azotobacter + 100% N poultry manure. Soil N and P (271.36 and 19.86 kg/ha), Ca and Mg (7.12 and 2.82 meq 100/g soil), respectively, were recorded maximum with the treatment comprising Azotobacter + 50% N poultry manure + 50% N urea. The same treatment also showed highest leaf N and P (1.78 and 0.16%), Ca and Mg (2.09 and 0.91%) contents, respectively, on dry weight basis. The highest soil K (148.53 kg/ha) and leaf K (1.27% on dry weight basis) contents were obtained with the application of Azotobacter + 75% N poultry manure + 25% N urea. The pooled analysis of two year data also indicated that 50% N poultry manure + 50% N urea showed highest fruit yield (42.89 kg/plant), maximum fruit length (8.47 cm), breadth (8.02 cm), weight (248.80 g) and pulp weight (218.68 g) while, Azotobacter + 50% N/tree through FYM + 50% N/tree through inorganic fertilizer showed highest TSS (13.01°B), total sugars (8.68%) and minimum physiological loss in weight (13.20%) after 10 days during storage under ambient conditions. The results suggested that fertilization of guava with chemical fertilizers can be minimized when nitrogen is applied half with poultry manure and half with urea augmented with Azotobacter

Exposure to titanium dioxide and other metallic oxide nanoparticles induces cytotoxicity on human neural cells and fibroblasts

The use of titanium dioxide (TiO2) in various industrial applications (eg, production of paper, plastics, cosmetics, and paints) has been expanding thereby increasing the occupational and other environmental exposure of these nanoparticles to humans and other species. However, the health effects of exposure to TiO2 nanoparticles have not been systematically assessed even though recent studies suggest that such exposure induces inflammatory responses in lung tissue and cells. Because the effects of such nanoparticles on human neural cells are unknown, we have determined the putative cytotoxic effects of these nanoparticles on human astrocytes-like astrocytoma U87 cells and compared their effects on normal human fibroblasts. We found that TiO2 micro- and nanoparticles induced cell death on both human cell types in a concentration-related manner. We further noted that zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles were the most effective, TiO2 nanoparticles the second most effective, and magnesium oxide (MgO) nanoparticles the least effective in inducing cell death in U87 cells. The cell death mechanisms underlying the effects of TiO2 micro- and nanoparticles on U87 cells include apoptosis, necrosis, and possibly apoptosis-like and necrosis-like cell death types. Thus, our findings may have toxicological and other pathophysiological implications on exposure of humans and other mammalian species to metallic oxide nanoparticles

Farm evaluation of formulated diets on the growth and body composition of Etroplus suratensis reared in cages in low-saline coastal ponds

A 90-day on-farm feeding experiment was carried out in the installed cages in brackishwater ponds to evaluate the efficiency of three formulated diets on the growth performance and body composition of Etroplus suratensis. Two diets DI and DII were in-house formulations based on optimum macronutrient requirements (protein and fat) derived from an indoor nutritional evaluation of E. suratensis, and diet three DIII was a commercially available pellet meant for pearl spot fish. A sum of 900 fishes were randomly distributed with an average weight of 18.2±0.02g into three different treatment groups each in triplicate, and each replicate had 100 fishes stocked in cages with dimensions 2×2×1.5 m. At the end of the feeding trial, the fish were weighed to assess growth parameters in terms of % gain in weight, feed conversion ratio (FCR), and specific growth rate (SGR). The diet (DI) displayed significantly (p<0.05) higher % weight gain, and SGR than (DII) and (DIII). The FCR of diet (DI) was significantly (p<0.05) lower than diets (DII) and (DIII). Diet (DI) showed better growth when compared with other feeds. The study emphasized the need for species-specific diets for application at the farm level for an effective return on investment