Arsenic in Surface Waters: A Report from River Ganga and its Tributary Jamania at Bhagalpur, Bihar, India

An investigation has been carried out to examine the arsenic pollution status of River Ganga & its tributary Jamania during pre-monsoon period of  2017 at Bhagalpur, Bihar (India). Altogether 17 water samples from different sampling sites along with their geo co-ordinates have been investigated for the value of arsenic using FTK test as well as spectrophotometer method. Throughout the study, arsenic value ranged from 10.69 ppb to 55.92 ppb. Out of the 17 water samples, the values of arsenic in 13 samples were from 20ppb to 54.1ppb. The concentration levels of arsenic in all the 17 river water samples and 2 public water supply samples (source: river water) in the present study were found above from the permissible limit of WHO (2008) and BIS (2004-2005) standards for drinking which is 10 ppb (part per billion)

Functional outcome evaluation of distal humerus fracture fixation

Background: Distal humerus fracture are complex, difficult to reduce and fix, cumbersome post-operative mobilization, and yet functional outcome is doubtful. Though various treatment modalities available for past many decades ranging from conservative management, K wire fixation to plate and screws, but still treatment remains difficult. The objective of the study was to assess functional outcome of operative fixation of distal humerus with locking plate and screws.Methods: Prospective study was done in during November 2015 to June 2016 in Vydehi Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre, Bengaluru. Patients with distal humerus fractures who were admitted into hospital for operative treatment after fulfilling inclusion and exclusion criteria were included into study. They were followed up to 6 months post-operatively. Functional outcome evaluation was done with Mayo’s elbow performance score.Results: 30 patients were included into study with full data. We had excellent, good, fair and poor outcome in 17, 8, 3, 2 patients respectively. Except for infection in one, elbow stiffness in two and non-union in two patients, we had no other complications.Conclusions: Management of distal humerus fractures with preoperative evaluation, pre-operative planning, use of locking plate and screws, early mobilization can result in good functional outcome

Effect of long - term integrated nutrient management on crop yield, nutrition and soil fertility under rice-wheat system

Long-term effect of nitrogen substitution (25 to 50%) through different organics, viz., FYM (farm yard ma-nure), GM (green manure) and WS (wheat straw) on crop yield, nutrition and physico-chemical properties of soil was studied under rice-wheat system. The data of long term experiment revealed that maximum grain yield of 46.83 qha-1 in wheat was obtained when 100% RDF applied through mineral fertilizers after 50% N of RDF being substituted with FYM in rice. Grain yield of wheat declined under control and sub-optimal fertilizer inputs (50% or 75% recommended fertilizer NPK), whereas positive yield increment was observed under treatments receiving organic supplements. The analysis of soil samples showed that soil pH reduced from initial value of 7.40 to 7.22, organic carbon build-up from 0.46% to 0.76%, available N from 194.00 to 225.95 kgha-1 available P2O5 from 23.60 to 49.54 kgha-1 and available K2O from 155.00 to 189.95 kgha-1 However, available Sulphur and DTPA-Zn increased from 7.74 to 14.41 kg ha-1 and 0.75 to 1.37 mg kg-1 respectively due to long-term (29 years) integrated nutrient management practices under rice-wheat system in alluvial soil. In conclusion, substitution of 50% and 25% N of RDF to rice through organics either FYM / Green manure / Wheat straw significantly increased the crop yield and nutrient uptake of wheat as well as build up the organic carbon, available N, P2O5, K2O, Sulphur, DTPA extractable Zn, Cu, Fe and Mn of post harvest soil after 29 years of the experiment

Signature capture of red soil patches and their acidity-A case study of Banka district, Bihar, India

Colour in soils as well as other object is the visual perceptual property which is perceived by human eye. They are governed by spectrum of light corresponding to wavelength or reflected energy of the material. Developed model for soil acidity is based on visual interpretation, principal component and spectral enhancement techniques by using of the satellite image (IRS LISS III, 2014). In this context, red soil patch is much sensitive in red spectral band comparison to green and blue spectral bands and perceived as red tone by human eyes but same soil patch appears green in false colour composite (FCC) image of NIR (0.70-0.80?m), Red (0.60-0.70 ?m) and Green (0.50-0.60?m) bands. The maximum coverage of red soil patches having low pH < 6.5 (1:2.5) was recognized in 44.07 per cent of the total geographical area (3019.56 sq.km) under Banka district. Maximum red soil patches having their acidity were recognised in Katoria (18.56%), Chanan (15.15%), Bounsi (10.44%) and Banka (9.92%) blocks. Overall results indicated that variation of tone in different bands helps for the separation of red soil patches

Synthesis and characterization of carbamates derivatives from 4-amino-1,2,4-triazole

Carbamate derivatives are proved to be an essential class of molecules because of their application as drugs and prodrugs. Their several derivatives also have been used to craft the drug-target interfaces by incorporating the carbamate moiety. Due to the huge demand in pharma-industries these have been extensively explored and synthesized. The synthesis and characterization of carbamate derivatives from 4-amino-1,2,4-triazoles and 3-(methylthio)-4-amino-1,2,4-triazoles are described. Carbamate derivatives of 4-amino-1,2,4-triazoles with phenyl chloroformate in CH3CN using K2CO3 at ca. ~80°C have been synthesized with good to excellent yield (~81 to 97%). The methodology has been subsequently extended for synthesis of carbamate derivatives of 3-(methylthio)-4-amino-1,2,4-triazoles in which bicarbamate derivatives are formed as major products (~39 to 47%) along with mono carbamate derivatives as minor products (~9 to 22%) in the presence of similar solvent and base. On investigating the effect of solvent and base, the reaction in CH3CN in presence of K2CO3 shows the best results

Assessment of Surface Water Quality by Using Water Quality Index of Sanbarish Pond of Morang District, Nepal

A study of surface water of Sanbarish pond has been carried out to examine the quality for drinking and other domestic purpose as well as to evaluate the water pollution status of wetland on the basis of the presence of different physicochemical and microbiological parameters. For calculating the WQI, the following 11 parameters have been considered: Temperature (ambient and water), pH, turbidity, TDS (Total Dissolved Solid), Cl- (chloride), EC (Electric Conductivity), DO (Dissolved Oxygen), TH (Total Hardness), PO4–P (Phosphate – phosphorus), NO3-N (Nitrate – nitrogen), COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand).  The WQI for these samples has been found to be mainly from the higher values of turbidity, DO and PH of the wetland water. The result of WQI has indicated the calculated value (ΣSIi = 95.59) showed the good quality for drinking as per the classification given and needs some proper treatment before consumption, and it also needs to be protected from the risk of contamination. The mean value of fecal coli form recorded was 1166.67 MPN/l00 ml which was crossed the WHO guide line

Daily Bread: Women’s Self-Help Microfinance and the Social Meanings of Money

In this article we explore the impacts and implications of ‘Rojiroti’, a women’s self-help group (SHG) microfinance scheme operating in poor communities in Bihar, India. We focus particularly on how improvements found in women’s circumstances and in children’s health might result from Rojiroti SHG membership. Through data from five focus groups and 19 individual interviews with women in communities where Rojiroti operates, we discover how the scheme is regarded and how it affects women’s management of household budgets. Moreover, we explore the relational aspects of SHG microfinance and the ways that it can alter family and social dynamics. Drawing on notions of ‘earmarked’ money (Zelizer, 1997) and ‘safeguarded’ money (Wilkis, 2017), we argue that the money itself has meaning and non-pecuniary value in the form of other currencies including power and agency, which can lead to improved wellbeing and health of families

Diverse and healthy cropping systems trial protocol

On-Farm Research Trials are part of TAFSSA’s Work Package 2 (WP2) activities. WP2 emphasizes farm-and landscape-level interdisciplinary research to identify strategies to increase farmers’ profits and nutritional yields, conserve resources, and maintain or enhance ecological services, while also mitigating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from farms and agricultural landscapes. Going beyond typical agriculture-nutrition programs in South Asia we explore field-and landscape-scale crop and animal farm diversification options supporting multiple benefits, including potential nutritional yield, across environmental and socioeconomic gradients of rice and maize-based farming systems. Nalanda district of Bihar in eastern India has been selected as a learning site based on key information on food and nutrition security gaps, environmental stresses and climate challenges as well as the prevalence of commodities and farming systems that offer the greatest potential to achieve TAFSSA’s outcomes

Impacts of soil and water conservation measures on farm technical efficiency in the semi-arid tropics of central India

Natural resources such as soil and water are essential to agriculture, especially in arid and semi-arid rain-fed areas, yet the impacts of managing these crucial natural resources on farm technical efficiency are little known. Using data from 400 households with 1031 plots, we examined the impacts of soil and water conservation measures (SWCMs) on the technical efficiency of farmers in the semi-arid Bundelkhand (central India). We estimated stochastic production frontiers, considering potential self-selection bias stemming from both observable and unobservable factors in the adoption of SWCMs at the farm level. The farm technical efficiency for adopters of SWCMs ranged from 0.68 to 0.72, and that for non-adopters ranged from 0.52 to 0.65, depending on how biases were controlled for. As the average efficiency is consistently higher for adopter farmers than the control group, promoting SWCMs could help to increase input use efficiency, especially in resource-deprived rain-fed systems in the semi-arid tropics

Sequential herbicide application coupled with mulch enhances the productivity and quality of winter onion (Allium cepa L.) while effectively controlling the mixed weed flora

Weed control poses substantial difficulties for winter season onion (Allium cepa L.) cultivation in the north-western Indo-Gangetic Plains, primarily due to the constrained efficacy of the existing herbicides. To address this issue, a 2-year field study was conducted to assess the efficacy of pre- and post-emergence herbicides (pendimethalin, ethoxysulfuron, imazethapyr, and quizalofop-p-ethyl) individually and in combination with crop residue mulch for weed control in winter onion. The results revealed that using herbicides or mulches in isolation did not provide satisfactory weed control. However, the integration of natural mulch with pendimethalin followed by quizalofop-p-ethyl application proved to be the most effective weed control strategy, resulting in the least reduction in bulb yield (10.3%) compared to other treatments. On the contrary, combinations of pendimethalin with ethoxysulfuron or imazethapyr showed adverse effects on the onion crop and inflicted the highest yield losses among all treatments (78.6 and 83.4%, respectively). However, the combination of pendimethalin with quizalofop-p-ethyl coupled with crop mulch resulted in season-long weed control and over 80% bulb yield (36.58 t/ha) gains compared to the weed-free condition. These findings emphasize the efficacy of combining herbicides and mulches as an integrated weed management strategy for onions. By adopting such integrated approaches, farmers could improve weed control while maintaining bulb yield and quality, reducing the risks associated with herbicide resistance, and promoting sustainable onion production in the north-western Indo-Gangetic Plains