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This paper is about a particular construction of nationalism at the hands of Romesh Chunder Dutt (1848–1909), the well-known exponent of 'economic nationalism', in colonial Bengal from 1870 onwards till his death in 1909. In this construction of nationalism, which today scholars would best describe as 'cultural nationalism', the categories 'Hindu' and 'national' converged and became conflated. Through a discussion of Dutt's 'literary patriotism', the paper seeks to answer why it was so in the case of someone like R C Dutt, and what implications we can draw from this regarding our understanding of colonial Indian nationalism and its origins. With reference to Dutt, Sudhir Chandra pointed out that the neat distinction that we draw between 'economic nationalism' and 'cultural nationalism' is fallacious. The paper reiterates and reinforces this argument by showing how cultural and political nationalisms were enmeshed together in the case of R C Dutt. Furthermore, the glorious past that Dutt reconstructed through his literary patriotism could not but be a Hindu past; he was not a vilifier of Muslims, but somehow he shelved the question of the place of Muslims in his construction of Indian nationhood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Great Bengal Famine of 1770 took 10 million lives. The British East India Company's (EIC) extraction of resources and imposition of brutal tax policies in Bengal exacerbated the disaster. By exploring the intersections of corporate interests, colonialism, and biopolitics, this paper provides a new perspective on the Bengal famine of 1770 by introducing and visualizing it through a unique theoretical framework—corporate colonial biopolitics. Adopting Michel Foucault's notion of biopolitics, my focus is primarily on the corporate colonial biopolitical strategies enforced by the Company, which led to dispossession, violence, and resource extraction exploiting Bengal's landscape and impeding the region's progress and development. The essay unveils the racist policies and profit-driven principles of the EIC and how they prioritized generating revenues, financing its military, and exporting food grain even at the peak of the famine. I point out how the EIC systematically dismantled the Indian agricultural system, fueling deindustrialization in India and ultimately making the region vulnerable to famines. The Bengal famine of 1770 remains unexplored by geographers despite being the first colonial famine in India. One of the primary objectives of this paper is to bridge this gap by shedding light on the geographical dimensions of this pivotal historical catastrophe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a long history of starvation, including reports dated back to antiquity. Despite exceptional scientific developments, starvation still exists today. The medical aspects of starvation were well established in the twentieth century, particularly following studies related to the 1943–1944 Bengal famine in India and starved prisoners of war and survivors of World War 2. The refeeding of the starved victims provided disappointing results. Nevertheless, those studies eventually led to the development of a new branch of research in medicine and to the definition of what is now known as refeeding syndrome. This paper briefly reviews the history and groundwork that led to today's understanding of starvation and refeeding, with a particular emphasis on the observations from studies on starved Holocaust survivors and prisoners of war after World War 2. The relevance of these studies for modern times is briefly discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An estimated 3 million people died due to the Bengal famine of 1943. The purpose of this article is to theorize the Bengal famine through the lens of colonial biopolitics. The colonial strategies and utilitarian principles by the British authorities exacerbated the Bengal famine. Utilizing Foucault's concept of biopolitics, I point out how the British viewed Indian bodies discursively. To reaffirm their sense of superiority, they reduced their Indian subjects to animal-like beings' incapable of controlling their own reproduction. In order to fulfil British goals, Indian people were forced to participate in the war effort. This paper situates the local and global politics of the famine as they were wrapped up in the geopolitics of World War II, during which the British colonial authorities were far more concerned about a Japanese invasion of South Asia than they were with the lives of people dying of hunger. The article highlights how the implementation of racist policies worsened the famine since it was a product of wartime priorities and calculations. I argue that the Bengal famine of 1943 is a historic tragedy of the colonial past, which was transformed into a socially constructed catastrophe by the British colonizers.Geographers have never studied the Bengal famine of 1943, and one of the principal purposes of this paper is to fill this void. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fairs often speak about the people and their embedded place. As an expressive space, fair mirrors the culture of the community and the emotional bond. The study unravels the fairs of West Bengal, an eastern state of India by exploring the physicality and the culture of a place that are momentous for the origin of fairs and their continuity through the generations. Thus, it is imperative to explore the diversities of fairs both in rural and urban settings of Bengal. Here, we used the available secondary data for entire Bengal to map out the regional patterns of fairs. Categorically, all the fairs were filtered using selected criteria and finally 979 were considered for the study out of 2023 by using Census data. Finding of the study reveals the regional patterns of fairs, which further tells on the spatio-temporal narratives along with the story of the traditionality and urban–rural connection with fairs. Again, the contribution of this paper establishes the linkages among the physical attributes, cultural imprint and fairs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper seeks to analyze how Hariprabha Takeda, a Bengali woman, in the early twentieth century negotiated with the issues of identity, integration, and cultural assimilation in her narrative from the standpoint of an insider in a Japanese household. Through a close textual analysis of her travelogue Bongomohilar Japan Jatra (1915) and other memoirs (translated as The Journey of a Bengali Woman to Japan (1915) & Other Essays by Somdatta Mandal in 2019), the paper attempts to examine how she was influenced by the Japanese culture and blurred the strict demarcations of private and public spaces through interracial marriage. The paper argues that the notion of pan- Asian identity gained prominence due to the active interest of travelers in exploring and developing cultural and political links between colonial Bengal and Japan, which forms the background to Hariprabha's transnational connections. A critical investigation of her translated narrative opens up various embedded cultural, gender and class issues that she encapsulated as a colonized woman and, thus, helps in situating it in the larger sociocultural and political scenario. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The epistemic question about what constitutes religious belief in non-Western contexts is addressed here through the ontology of sonic experience. I demonstrate that religious beliefs are habitually ingrained as long-sustaining visceral memories, when afforded by sensory—for instance, aural—affects. Bengal's peculiar devotional milieu constructs a prototype of oppositions. On one end is the urban, classical, martial goddess, Durga, with elite histories of acquiring a high Brahmanical form, and whose autumnal rituals are based on scriptural rules, caste hierarchies, and distance among the devotees and deity. On the other end is the rural, indigenous, non-classical, peasant god, Shiva, whose spring-time worship celebrating primordial death and regeneration is based on intensely embodied and communitarian principles of identity among the caste-equal bodies of devotee men, and even their god. Based on immersive ethnographic analyses, the paper argues that these dual psychological ends of the regional sacred cosmos are made vividly real through differential perceptive experiences of percussion sounds (ubiquitous in these festivities), their varied tempos, textures, volumes, and rhythm modulations. Through phenomenological deep listening, I describe stark styles of making and playing the sacred membranophone drum, dhak, which embodies distinct rhythm styles, relationships with rituals, and psychophysical effects on the devotional ensembles. I show how the bodies of devotees, dhak players (dhakis), deities, and even the dhak, become tied to the tonalities of the drum, which is taught through generations of deft learning among dhakis, to sound distinctly when echoed for Durga and Shiva. The paper's main argument is that these dhak sounds, which have remained a conceptual oversight in literature, not only aid in, but indeed, enable the experience of and belief in Bengal's divergent deities. It is through such empowering sensory sedimentations of the different sounds of the same percussion, that people recognize, remember, and maintain the region's devotional dialectic and complex religious lifeworld. In essence, the body's powerful experiences of drum sounds make religious belief palpable and possible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article focuses on two cartographically estranged places which continue to be historically concomitant--lower deltaic Bengal and Burma. The aim of the paper is to do a comparative 'pizza effect' study using contemporary Anglophone writings by Amitav Ghosh. Within the methodological perspective, the theoretical framework of the paper stems from the discussions of 'self-orientalisation'--a phenomenon in which a community's comprehension of native culture is determined by its acceptance in foreign lands. The paper argues how the writings of Amitav Ghosh have triggered a 'pizza effect' in two modes: on the one hand, they have led to the re-discovery of 'folklores' by a new generation of Anglophone readers for whom these were lost, on the other hand they have led to the re-finding of a shared history between Bengal and Burma. The first of these modes of 'pizza effect' is studied through the literary analysis of a folktale from the Sundarbans--...Bonbibır Johuranama--and its representation and adaption in Amitav Ghosh's novel--The Hungry Tide (2004). The second case of 'pizza effect' is evaluated by comparing ... Padmavati, a seventeen-century composiIon by AJlaKol, a Bengali poet in the Arakanese court and representations of Burma and Arakan in contemporary works of Amitav Ghosh--The Glass Palace (2000), Sea of Poppies (2008), and Dancing in Cambodia, At Large in Burma (1998). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The great Kolkata Cyclone of 5 October 1864 is still felt in the hearts of people in Bengal after 158 years. Almost every year, the inhabitants of Bengal are frequently threatened by various types of cyclones. In the last three centuries, from 1737 to 2021, the people of Bengal have witnessed more than one hundred fifty cyclones, tornadoes, and typhoons. Cyclones that occurred in the Bay of Bengal in October of 1737, 1864, 1874, 1876, and 1942 were severe and caused great loss of life and property. But the Kolkata Cyclone on the 5 October 1864 was one of the deadliest cyclones of Bengal. It was also one of the most destructive cyclones in the world. The devastation of the cyclone was terrible. It appeared that the total loss of life by the cyclone in Bengal actually reported by competent authorities was not more than sixty thousand. The loss of life in the Bengal had been partially ascertained. This paper is a case study of a natural calamity that swept over the Bengal on 5 October 1864 with reference to broader questions relating to climate and human settlement. The most striking part of the description is the human casualties. Finally, it shows how the effects of this natural calamity devastated thousands of lives in then-Bengal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper seeks to analyze the recent phenomenon of the development of a Matri Sena (literally, an 'Army of Holy Women') among the Matua sect of West Bengal, India. Historically known to have suffered caste-based untouchability and forced migration due to communal conflict, the Matua community's current political motivations surround the issue of 'refugeehood' and Indian citizenship. Given this background, the emergence of the Matri Sena as a complex identity among a religion–caste–gender–nation nexus is oriented towards bipartite objectives: one, to actualize the gender-egalitarian ethos that informs Matua religious foundations, and two, to claim legal citizenship status for its community members precisely through a new gendered ideology. We argue that the women gurus of the Matri Sena are able to realize their religious/political aims by fashioning themselves as mothers of an ideal family, community, and by extension, the nation. In deploying their specific gendered ideological constructions, they enact their new roles as influencers in both private and public Matua lives. In such renderings, the woman guru's mother-figure emerges as a political subject through crucial engagements with Matua religiosity on one hand, and dominant Hindu nationalist discourses on the other. In this article, we critically analyze ways in which the Matri Sena constructs a new maternal notion of religio-political power, and how such power furthers both collective Matua aspirations and contemporary national imaginations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on the Bengal Basin, the most important sedimentary basin in the world that supports ~200 million people, is primarily focused on its geologic evolution and anthropogenic effects, yet the basin is poorly studied in terms of geomorphic response to tectonic activity. The eastern part of the Bengal Basin is characterized by the Chittagong Tripura Fold Belt (CTFB) and the Indo‐Burman Range (IBR), which have structurally deformed into a series of mostly compressional fold and thrust belts including strike–slip faults because of the ongoing subduction‐related convergence between the Eurasian Plate and the Indian Plate. A network of river channels incising through thick sedimentary rocks and crossing and/or flowing parallel to this fold and thrust Belt. The active tectonic deformation caused by the structures and ongoing compression‐related activity remains enigmatic due to the sparse dataset, thick vegetation cover, outcrop paucity, and the Basin's complex geology. In this paper, we investigate river response to ongoing tectonics in the CTFB and western IBR by analysing channel geomorphic metrics (ksn, χ, and knickpoints) coupled with river profile forms derived from 30 m resolution NASADEM. Our results reveal (1) several convex and double‐concave reaches of major rivers and their tributaries that primarily indicate the transient state of the rivers; (2) a total of 219 upstream propagating knickpoints including distinct knickzones in profile reaches, suggesting river profile adjustment; (3) two different ksn zones in the CTFB and IBR with high ksn zone to the east and low ksn zone to the west, where ksn values range from 0 to 4905. These zones are thought to be associated with the differential uplift rate of the two east‐dipping thrust fault systems, the Kaladan Fault and Chittagong Cox's Bazar Fault (CCF); and (4) the χ‐ map (values ranging from 0.47 to 19,631.75) shows an occasional transient state of drainage divides where divides are migrating to the east, west, and north‐east, and χ versus elevation plots exhibiting disequilibrium state of the rivers suggesting that these drainage basins are likely adjusting with tectonic activities. Thus, our empirical observation suggests that the major rivers and their tributaries are in a transient state related to the region's overall ongoing tectonics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Issues of women's emancipation dominated the social reform movements in the early nineteenth century colonial Bengal (India). Influenced by the European renaissance, elite Bengali men (Bhadralok) argued that unless the condition of women improves, society cannot attain modernity. However, by the end of the nineteenth century, reforms shifted from women's issues to nationalism and anti-colonialism discourse. Reformers talked little about modernizing women but redefined the role of women as custodians of Indian traditions that seemed threatened under British rule. Women began to be equated with traditions, and men's role was to 'modernize' and negotiate with the colonial structure. This paper examines women's role in colonial Bengal by using a feminist approach to interpreting films from a historical perspective. This paper analyzes the portrayal of women in three films directed by Satyajit Ray (known as The Apu Trilogy) from 1955 to 1959. It examines the cinematic depiction of women within the context of anti-colonial discourse prevailing in the late 19th and 20th century Bengal. The focus is also on the auteur's personal experience and interpretations. Critical analysis of these films reveals that Bengal's renaissance, spearheaded by upper-class men, was patriarchal, and women lagged in this journey towards modernity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tea industry is a labour-intensive industry. The distinct form of production relation in the tea industry not only established itself but also established a social system for the tea workers (Bhowmik, 1980). The tea industry has reproduced poverty and disadvantage position for workers generation after generation and succeeded in perpetuating a downward spiral. (Gothoskar, 2012). After trade liberalisation and introduction of globalisation in tea business, the surplus labour force in tea industry were left with limited work and no other resources. This surplus labour force is absorbed in different areas as precarious labour. The paper tries to explore different aspects of precariousness of tea workers and how the tea industry is acting as a reservoir for such precariat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cultural anthropologists acknowledge the primacy of the spectator's gaze in assigning hierarchical space to performances within the public sphere. Equations of power and transactions between agents of performance and the consumer or between the language of the entitled spectator and subject performers determine the category assigned to a given performance: folk or elite, classic or popular, high or subaltern. The late eighteenth - early nineteenth century in Bengal was a period of political and social transition and of realignment along religious, spatial and intellectual lines. The birth and growth of the metropolitan urban centre (Calcutta), an increasing presence of European residents of both genders in Calcutta and Bengal and the shift of power and influence from Muslim military aristocracy to an European merchant company (The British East India Company), meant that traditional indigenous performances were often thrown open for commentary and judgment to an audience who were largely outsiders and to whom the nuances of language, caste, class, region, ritual signification were matters of academic interest only occasioning descriptive commentaries on the practices in an alien country. In the travelogues and memoirs of Maria Nugent or Fanny Parkes, for instance, rituals, customs or performances were viewed as exemplifying the picturesque 'otherness' of an alien race. This paper will focus on evidences within British colonial writings of the early nineteenth century describing what appeared to observers as performances, with which they attempt to conceptualize the native 'other' as a cultural trope. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the most distinctive characteristic of India is its social system. It has been driven by casteism. It has partially been believed by the high caste Brahmins that casteism has saved Hinduism from disintegration. Therefore they have preached the proletarian and subaltern that they are specially created by Brahma to rule over them. Due to this they have divided the whole social system with four sections - Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya and Shudra. But their inhuman treatment over the marginalized and dalits has left no mark of identity for them. Therefore, they have been searching their identity with the periods of time either by embracing other faiths or by revolting against them. In this context, Matua Mahasangha or MMS is a religious reformative movement which was an initiative step for the Namashudra, a Scheduled Caste group to acknowledge their pangs and pathos in the Brahmin centric division and motivate them to revolt against the untouchabilities they have been faced since decades. This paper attempts at analyzing how the reformation of the Matua movement becomes a stepping stone for the upliftment of the Dalits in Bengal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The assessment of age in children and teenagers is significantly influenced by dental maturity. It has been shown that estimating age by examining the calcification of permanent teeth yields precise and accurate methods and outcomes. It has become a vital instrument in forensics. In pediatric dentistry, age estimate is important for identifying developmental milestones. It may also be used to determine the child's age in cases when the date of birth is unknown, which is important for treatment planning. Understanding the existence of different abnormalities, such as oligodontia and congenital lack of teeth or teeth, is also made easier with an understanding of dental age. There is no study in the literature on dental age estimation that is done in the Bengal Population. This population-based cross-sectional study estimates the chronological age, and dental age using Willems's and Cameriere's age estimation methods. The study is a comparative evaluation among all the groups and the paper will include the descriptive methodology, results based on the data that is yet to be subjected to statistical analysis, followed by conclusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aim: Given the rise in stray and imported dogs in Egypt over the past 5 years, it is surprising that no report of Brucella canis infection in dogs or humans has been documented in Egypt's published papers. This study aimed to detect the presence of antibodies against the rough (B. canis) and smooth Brucellae among dogs in Egypt and to characterize the Brucella species circulating in dogs. Materials and Methods: Blood samples (n = 449) were collected from owned and stray dogs in the Greater Cairo region (n = 309) and Damietta governorate (n = 140). The apparent, true, and total seroprevalence of canine brucellosis caused by B. canis infection were calculated using the 2-mercaptoethanol tube agglutination test (2-ME TAT) and rapid slide agglutination test (RSAT). We used the rose Bengal test (RBT) and the buffered acidified plate antigen test (BAPAT) to check the serum samples from dogs for the presence of antibodies against smooth Brucellae. Three polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays - Bruce-ladder PCR, B. canis species-specific PCR (BcSS-PCR), and Abortus Melitensis Ovis Suis (AMOS)-PCR - were used to determine the Brucella species in the buffy coats of the serologically positive dogs. Results: The overall apparent and true prevalence of B. canis infection in dogs were estimated to be 3.8% and 13.2%. The estimated true prevalence in stray dogs (15%) was higher than in owned dogs (12.5%). The BAPAT and the RBT using smooth antigens revealed that 11 (2.4%) and 9 (2%) were positive. Bruce-ladder PCR targeting eryC, ABC, and Polysaccharide deacetylase genes was able to identify B. canis in nine out of 17 buffy coat samples. AMOS-PCR identified the eight undetermined Brucella species by Bruce-ladder PCR as Brucella abortus (n = 4) and Brucella melitensis (n = 4). To exclude the presence of Brucella suis, a one-step species-specific BcSS-PCR was performed and specifically amplified all B. canis DNA (n = 9) the same as did the Bruce-ladder PCR. Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of B. canis detection in dogs in Egypt. Molecular identification of B. abortus and B. melitensis in the Egyptian canines highlights the role of stray dogs in brucellosis remerging in Brucellosis-free dairy farms. Brucella canis infection can be diagnosed specifically with the one-step BcSS-PCR. The obtained results set-an-alarm to the veterinary authorities to launch plans to control this disease in dogs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Bone Morphogenetic Protein 15 (BMP15) and Growth Differentiation Factor 9 (GDF9) genes play important roles in follicular development, ovulation rate, and litter size in goats. This study aimed to investigate polymorphisms (SNP) in the coding sequences of BMP15 and GDF9 genes and to find possible associations between identified polymorphisms and reproductive traits in Bangladesh's Black Bengal goat (BBG). In total, 85 DNA samples of BBG were utilized for PCR amplification, gene fragments sequencing, and subsequent association studies using a generalized linear model implemented by R software. Sequence analysis revealed three SNPs (g.5875A>G, g.6051G>A, and g.6124C>G) in the exon 2 of the BMP15 gene, having one nonsynonymous mutation (g.6124C>G) that changed amino acid glutamic acid to glutamine (E270Q). Besides, the g.3764C>T polymorphism identified in the GDF9 gene was nonsynonymous in nature, changing the amino acid alanine to valine (A273V). The association analysis revealed that litter size and kidding interval differed significantly (p<0.05) for g.6051G>A and g.6124C>G SNP genotypes of the BMP15 gene in the BBG population. Besides, the combined genotypes derived from three BMP15 polymorphisms also significantly affected average litter size and at the 3rd parity. However, the g.3764C>T SNP genotypes of the GDF9 gene showed significant association with only average service per conception. Taken together, the identified SNPs of BMP15 and GDF9 genes showed potentials that could be used as molecular markers for improving the reproductive traits of BBG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Dermatoglyphic is the permanent imprint found in hands. Variations of dermatoglyphic patterns among the individuals have been noted. Aims: To fi nd out the dermatoglyphic pattern variations in dental caries between study group and the control group. Settings and Design: A crosssectional study was done on 300 Bengalee children of Kolkata between the age group of 4-14 years. Materials and Methods: The samples were divided into two groups; study group and control group. Dental caries were detected clinically using mouth mirror and probe in daylight. Ink was applied on palm and fi nger by pressure pad. Bilateral palm and fi nger prints were taken by placing the palm and fi ngers over glazed paper and applying pressure over palm. Finger and palm prints obtained were inspected by magnifying glass for the study of different dermatoglyphic parameters. Statistical analysis used: Analytical statistical method with the help of student's t-test was used to determine mean values and gender differences in the fi ndings using SPSS version 11.0. Results: The characteristic feature which shows significant increase in caries sample group were increased total fi nger ridge count (TRFC) and absolute fi nger ridge count (AFRC) on fi ngers, representing pattern size and types. ab count and tr count were significantly lower in male and female caries sample group compared with the control group. Conclusions: There was a significant difference between caries and control group in different patterns and number of "tri radii on fi ngers" in fi ngers, the percentage of patterns on all palmar areas, total number of triradii on palm and main line index. Perhaps more systematic larger samples consisting of different genetic population are necessary to verify the conclusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a tool both for research and for structuring community-level interaction, Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) is now well embedded in development practice. This paper, however, argues that in order to play an enabling role towards community action, facilitators need to offer much more than the traditional PRA approach. Based on work with groups of women and of men in North Bengal, the paper describes how local politics and facilitators' strategies interact and complicate the use of PRA-like planning approaches. The article stresses the need for effective and long-term facilitation strategies that take into account organisational, methodological, and contextual considerations, and argues that organisations need to invest far more in ensuring the quality of facilitators than is generally the case. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Replacement of water-intensive winter rice with strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.) may restrict groundwater extraction and improve water productivity and sustainability of agricultural production in the arsenic-contaminated Bengal basin. The potential of strawberry cultivation in terms of yield obtained and water use efficiency need to be evaluated under predominant soil types with mulch applications. Water-driven model AquaCrop was used to predict the canopy cover, soil water storage and above-ground biomass of strawberry in an arsenic-contaminated area in the Bengal basin. After successful calibration and validation over three seasons, AquaCrop was used over a range of management scenarios (nine drip-irrigation × three soil types × four mulch materials) to identify the best irrigation options for a drip-irrigated strawberry crop. The most appropriate irrigation of 176 mm for clay loam soil in lowland and 189 mm for sandy clay loam in medium land rice areas and the use of organic mulch from locally available jute agrotextile improved 1.4 times higher yield and 1.7 times higher water productivity than that of without mulch. Strawberry can be introduced as an alternative crop replacing rice in non-traditional upland and medium land areas of the arsenic-contaminated Bengal basin with 88% lower groundwater extraction load and better economic return to farmers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents insights from a comprehensive analysis of bird counts conducted at Narathali waterbody in Buxa Tiger Reserve between 2009 and 2019. Thirteen bird species were monitored, including six wintering duck species and seven resident waterfowl species. The population trends of these birds remained relatively constant throughout the study period. Additionally, the study documented raptor counts and compiled a checklist of waterbirds observed at the waterbody. These findings enhance our understanding of bird population dynamics in this significant habitat and provide valuable information for the conservation and management of the Buxa Tiger Reserve. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Northeast India encompasses numerous thrusts, faults, and lineaments with undulated surface topography and is one of the utmost tectonically active regions in the world. Owing to the results of the collision of the Indian Plate under the Tibetan Plate and Burmese Plate, respectively, this area has affected the highest seismic potential zone-V, triggering many earthquakes. The current study area is located in and around the Shillong plateau, Mikir Hills, Naga Hills, Arakan-Yoma fold belt, Bengal basin, and Mishmi hills of the Himalayan foothills and that fall under the northeast of India. The thrusts and faults information available in this area are very scanty due to limited availability of geoscientific data and revealing seismic survey. Henceforth, it is necessary to get enhanced geoscientific learning for a better understanding of thrusts, faults, and lineaments information, the most positive and most negative curvature attribute analyses have been carried out using ground gravity data in this area. The significant derived results from this study encourage supplementary findings of thrust, fault, and lineament information, which also correlate well with the previously found results of 3D Euler deconvolution and source edge detection. Although, gravity data interpretation has its own limitations, however, the current derived results using the latest curvature analysis approach utilizing gravity data show realistic invigorated solutions for a better understanding of the thrust, fault, and lineament locations in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the current study, hypsometric integral (HI) using polynomial fitting, morphometric parameters (MP) and tectonic elements (TE) like iso-base map, stream length-gradient index, hydraulic gradient and sinuosity index were determined to understand the basin evolution. For this analysis, the study area was divided into four sections; (1) Area 1 (34,492 km2) covering the stable platform (2) Area 2 (48,137 km2) covering basin part (3) Area 3 (37,301 km2) also covering basin part (4) Area 4 (18,219 km2) covering the hilly area. Arc hydro tool and CalHypso extension were used with the ArcGIS for HI calculations. Streams of eighth order for Area 1 and Area 4, tenth order for Area 2, ninth order for Area 3 were identified from 30 m × 30 m shuttle radar topographic mission (SRTM) digital elevation model (DEM). Sixth-order watershed for the four regions were used for HI calculation. Principal component analysis was carried out on the morphometric parameters, but there is no significant correlation among MP; although few parameters show strong, moderate and good correlation. To achieve HI values, watersheds were selected randomly- 25 nos. out of 59, 64 nos. out of 118, 36 nos. out of 74 and 22 nos. out of 31 for the four areas, respectively. Area 1 possesses 92% mature and 8% young watersheds, Areas 2 and 4 possess 43% and 55% old, 54% and 40% mature, and 3% and 5% young watersheds, respectively. But Area 3 possesses 25% old and 75% mature watersheds. Based on HI, MP and TE it can be concluded that the study area is almost stable and passing through a quite state and no tectonic activity exists in this area. This information would facilitate to the planner, engineer and decision taker to develop this zone for infrastructure development regarding the venture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The European concept of nationalism became a useful instrument in creating new identities of peoples of South Asia. In Bengal, traditional identities were given political dimensions, and a number of emotion building symbols, narrations, invented traditions and characteristics of the land, were employed to attract the people to the idea of a particular nationalism. The role of cities in creating the nationalisms of Bengal is discussed in the present paper. The examples of Dhaka, Kolkata and Murshidabad are considered on the one hand, whereas on the other there is an attempt of a comparison between the role of these three cities and the influence of the countryside and the rural landscape of Bengal in appealing to the sentiments of Bengalis in their nationalistic discourse. Conclusions are submitted for further considerations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is conceived as an examination of the textual sources of the Tantric Vaiṣṇava tradition in its regional context and of the way in which vernacular Bengali and Sanskrit functioned as two factors determining the development and shape of the particular medieval esoteric tradition. The complicated history of the Bengali culture amalgam, which determines the special character of this region, takes on a crucial meaning here as pan-Indian Brahmanical and Sanskrit culture is juxtaposed on many levels with regional culture. The interactions between the regional and the pan-Indian as well as between the vernacular and Sanskrit seem to be a very complex problem with dynamic nets of interactions, functioning synchronically on multiple levels. The examination of this matter is proceeded by a general overview of the previous scholarship on the subject. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Out of eight commonly agreed Millennium Development Goals (MDG), six are related to the attainment of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) throughout the globe. This universalization of health status suggests policies to narrow the gap in access and benefit sharing between different socially and economically underprivileged classes with that of the better placed ones and a consequent expansion of subsidized healthcare appears to be a common feature for most of the developing nations. The National Health Policy in India (2002) suggests expansion of market-based care for the affording class and subsidized care for the deserving class of the society. So, the benefit distribution of this limited public support in health sector is important to examine to study the welfare consequences of the policy. This paper examines the nature of utilization to inpatient care by different socio-economic groups across regions and gender in West Bengal (WB), India. The benefit incidence of public subsidies across these socio-economic groups has also been verified for different types of services like medicines, diagnostics and professional care etc. Methods: National Sample Survey Organization (NSSO) has collected information on all hospitalized cases (60th round, 2004) with a recall period of 365 days from the sampled households through stratified random sampling technique. The data has been used to assess utilization of healthcare services during hospitalization and the distribution of public subsidies among the patients of different socio-economic background; a Benefit Incidence Analysis (BIA) has also been carried out. Results: Analysis shows that though the rate of utilization of public hospitals is quite high, other complementary services like medicine, doctor and diagnostic tests are mostly purchased from private market. This leads to high Out-of-Pocket (OOP) expenditure. Moreover, BIA reveals that the public subsidies are mostly enjoyed by the relatively better placed patients, both socially and economically. The worse situation is observed for gender related inequality in access and benefit from public subsidies in the state. Conclusion: Focused policies are required to ensure proper distribution of public subsidies to arrest high OOP expenditure. Drastic change in policy targeting is needed to secure equity without compromising efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nutrient profiling is a method that classifies foods based on their nutrient content and identifies foods that are high in micronutrients both across and within food groups. This study aimed to identify foods that are rich sources of the seven micronutrients (iron, zinc, calcium, thiamine, riboflavin, vitamin A, and vitamin B12) of public health concern for the Bangladeshi population.. This study developed a metric termed "naturally nutrient-rich score 7 (NNR7)" specifically for third-trimester pregnant women to identify nutrient-dense foods. Further, it computed the nutrient adequacy score (NAS) of the top NNR7-scored foods for seven micronutrients to assess the extent (percent) to which foods can meet pregnant women's recommended dietary allowances (RDA). A linear programming technique was then used to construct a nutrient-adequate model diet for third-trimester pregnant women using the top ten NNR7-scored foods. According to the NNR7, food groups such as leafy vegetables, fish, meat, poultry and eggs, and vegetables are the richest sources of the problem micronutrients. Mutton liver (916.7%), soybean (39.3%), lamb liver (2160%) and duck liver (50.0%) were found to fulfill the highest percentage of the RDA of vitamin A, zinc, vitamin B12, and iron, respectively. In the formulated nutrient-adequate diets for pregnant women, rice, potato, brown wheat flour, and soya oil were universal to all three diets and Bengal gram, orange, Ganges River sprat, and duck liver were the most common ones. The study findings highlight the need for the consumption of foods such as leafy vegetables, fish, meat, poultry, eggs, pulses and vegetables to increase the intake of problematic micronutrients. Planning a nutrient-adequate diet for pregnant women using linear programming can be an alternative approach to optimize and shape food choices to meet their nutritional requirements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rice is a major food crop that has a critical role in ensuring food security for the global population. However, major abiotic stresses such as salinity and alkalinity pose a major threat to rice farming worldwide. Compared with salinity stress, there is limited progress in elucidating the molecular mechanisms associated with alkalinity tolerance in rice. Since both stresses coexist in coastal and arid regions, unraveling of the underlying molecular mechanisms will help the breeding of high-yielding stress-tolerant rice varieties for these areas. This study examined the morpho-physiological and molecular response of four rice genotypes to both salinity and alkalinity stresses. Geumgangbyeo was highly tolerant and Mermentau was the least tolerant to both stresses, while Pokkali and Bengal were tolerant to only salinity and alkalinity stress, respectively. A set of salinity and alkalinity stress-responsive genes showed differential expression in the above rice genotypes under both stress conditions. The expression patterns were consistent with the observed morphological responses in these rice genotypes, suggesting the potential role of these genes in regulating tolerance to these abiotic stresses. Overall, this study suggested that divergence in response to alkalinity and salinity stresses among rice genotypes could be due to different molecular mechanisms conferring tolerance to each stress. In addition to providing a basis for further investigations into differentiating the molecular bases underlying tolerance, this study also emphasizes the possibilities of developing climate-resilient rice varieties using donors that are tolerant to both abiotic stresses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unlike other structures in the vicinity of the Chittagong Tripura Fold Belt, the Changotaung anticline is one of Bangladesh's least explored structures. An attempt has been made for the first time to understand and document sedimentary deposits, environments, structure, and tectonic activity based on the high-resolution outcrop and reconnaissance study with the knowledge of broad-brush geology. We found that Changotaung is a symmetrical box-folded structure with an extensive western flank where the amount of dip varies between 11° and 45°. The exposed Cenozoic succession was categorized into three separate sedimentary sequences and correlated with the conventional stratigraphic unit. A first-order simple Markovian approach was presented for the exposed litho-section in an effort to illustrate vertical facies variations in the Upper Surma group. We quantified that heterolithic bed mostly overlies both trough cross-bedding ( P ij U = 0.706) and parallel laminated bed ( P ij U = 0.955) according to the facies transition probability matrix. According to the results of the stationary distribution, there is a 40% chance of coming across heterolithic beds within the Upper Surma group during any given event that is completely random whereas trough cross-bedding, parallel laminated bed, cumulative sandstone facies, and cumulative shale facies shows around 10.8%, 15.2%, 20.6%, 13.4% probability. We hypothesized, based on the interpretive facies analysis, that the Chittagong Tripura fold belt region's Upper Surma Group underwent three interrelated depositional settings (wave-dominated shallow marine, tide-dominated shallow marine, and fluvio-deltaic distributary). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A potential approach to the preparation of affordable activated hydrochar is the hydrothermal carbonization of biomass wastes. In this study, hydrochar was made by hydrothermally carbonizing corncob wastes and then activating them with sodium hydroxide (NaOH). According to the findings, the adsorption capabilities of hydrochar generated at prolonged retention durations, lesser liquid-to-solid ratios, and elevated temperatures were considerably greater. The hydrochars were then analyzed utilizing a variety of characterization methods, and batch tests involving the sorption of rose bengal dye were carried out under a variety of conditions. According to the findings, activated hydrochar has a specific surface area of 12.794 m2/g. In order to better understand and characterize the process of rose bengal dye adsorption, sorption kinetics, and sorption equilibrium onto the produced hydrochars, sorption kinetics and isotherms were further examined through experimental data fitting. The NaOH-activated hydrochar's adsorption capacity was 799.9 mg/g, respectively. The objective of this research was to assess the viability of using NaOH-activated hydrochar derived from corncobs as an economical and efficient sorbent for eliminating anionic dyes like rose bengal from aqueous solutions. Additionally, the study sought to investigate how various factors influence its sorption capabilities and to provide insights into the adsorption process through kinetic and isotherm analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to compare the suitability of three chimeric recombinant outer membrane proteins of Brucella (rOmps 19 + 25, 19 + 31, and 25 + 31) for the diagnosis of bovine and sheep brucellosis using an indirect ELISA (i-ELISA). The diagnostic properties of these proteins in an i-ELISA were studied using blood serum samples from cattle and sheep with known positive and negative results for brucellosis based on the rose Bengal plate test (RBT), complement fixation test (CFT), and a commercial ELISA (c-ELISA) kit, as well as using animal sera from fresh foci of infection with unknown reactivity. rOmps19 + 31 and 19 + 25 conferred 99-100% specificity to the i-ELISA compared with RBT, CFT, and c-ELISA in both bovine and sheep sera testing. i-ELISA/rOmp19 + 31 exhibited a higher sensitivity in serological examinations of cattle than in that of sheep, compared to RBT (89% vs. 44%) and CFT or c-ELISA (78% vs. 42%). In the study of cattle and sheep residing in the fresh foci of infection with positive RBT, anti-Brucella antibodies were detected by i-ELISA/rOmp19 + 31 in the blood serum of 80% and 86% of animals with the test specificities of 100% and 70%, respectively. These results indicate rOmp19 + 31 as a potential target antigen for the diagnosis of bovine and sheep brucellosis; however, further large-scale studies are required to determine the effectiveness of this protein as an i-ELISA antigen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines chakri as a distinct category of work in colonial Bengal. It traces the emergence of chakri in Bengal's encounters with colonialism, and the subsequent association of the category with "English education" and the bhadralok (literally, "respectable ones"). Chakri was and continues to be a referent of white-collar jobs in Bengal. In addition, it was crucial to consolidating respectability, as the bhadralok distinguished themselves from those who engaged in manual or menial labour (e.g., peasants, domestic workers etc.). However, a closer look at the terms chakure (employee) and chakor (servant) reveals differing connotations. Characteristics embedded in the notion of chakor - service, servitude and loyalty - noticeably blurred the lines that divided respectable work from manual-menial labour Yet divisions between these two were maintained, even as the undertones of servant varied morally within the socioeconomic categories of chakure and chakor. At the same time, this study extends beyond immediate concerns of livelihood in order to encompass broader yet interrelated realms of citizenship and nation building. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecotourism, the nature based travel with emphasis on education, management, development of sustainable tourism product and activity and wellbeing of the local people is not simply a marginal activity to finance protection of the environment but it has proved to be an engine of growth in many economies of the world. Eco tourism has been recognized as the backbone of economies of many countries. North Bengal being the northern territory of West Bengal of India is fortunate for its rich ecotourism destinations. The present paper will explore the ecotourism landscape of this tract of India. It will also reflect an overview of its impact on the regional economy with six case studies. The paper will be concluded with some problems and management strategies of ecotourism activity of the area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the scientific and entrepreneurial incentives for malaria research in the tea plantations of north Bengal in colonial India. In the process it highlights how the logic of 'location' emerged as the central trope through which medical experts, as well as colonial administrators and planters, defined malaria research in the region. The paper argues that the 'local' emerged as both a prerequisite of colonial governance as well as a significant component of malaria research in the field. Despite the ambiguities that such a project entailed, tropical medicine was enriched from a diverse understanding of local ecology, habitation, and structural modes of production. Nevertheless, the locality itself did not benefit from anti-malarial policy undertaken either by medical experts or the colonial state. This article suggests that there was a disjuncture between 'tropical medicine' and its 'field' that could not be accommodated within the colonial plantation system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines themes related to cooking, food, nutrition, and the relationship between dietary practice and health in late-nineteenth century and early-twentieth century Bengal, and argues that food and cuisine represented a vibrant site on which a complex rhetorical struggle between colonialism and nationalism was played out. Insofar as they carried symbolic meanings and 'civilisational attributes', cooking and eating transcended their functionality and became cultural practices, with a strong ideological-pedagogical content. The Bengali/Indian kitchen, so strongly reviled in European colonialist discourses as a veritable purgatory, became a critically important symbolic space in the emerging ideology of domesticity during the colonial period. The gastronomic excesses of gluttonous British officials--crucial in asserting the physical superiority of a 'masculine' Raj--became an object of ridicule in Bengali culinary texts, signifying the grossness of a materialistic . The cooking and eating of food thus became deeply implicated in the cultural politics of bhadralok nationalism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Much has been said about how fruitfully European aesthetics worked on the minds of Indian writers in the 19th century. For this reason Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941), even before he turned twenty, in the eyes of some of his compatriots was already a Romanticist—'the Shelley of Bengal'. Of course, he could not be Shelley because of the very different historical circumstances of India and England (in India at that time historically could not be born aesthetic rebels like Shelley). But what was implied in this assertion remains: in Bengali writing about Tagore and his embarkation upon new aesthetic approaches, almost always the view is expressed that this happened only because of foreign influences. The task of this paper is to show very summarily that such a conclusion may not be correct. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trade and export, it is argued, spur economic growth. This paper studies the microeconomics of exporting. We build a heuristic model of transactions between exporters and producers and relate it to East India Company (EIC) operations in colonial Bengal. Our model and the historical record stress two difficulties: the exporter and its agents might not uphold payment agreements, and producers might not honor sales contracts. The model shows when procurement succeeds or fails, highlighting the tension between these two hold-up problems. We analyze several cases, including the EIC's cotton textile venture, the famous Opium Monopoly, and present-day contract farming. (JEL D86, F14, N55, N75) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the nature and understandings of history, or itihasa/Purana, in eighteenth-century India using two Mangalkabya narratives. These materials belong to a large genre of performance narratives, usually devoted to eulogizing various deities, that were produced in Bengal for several centuries. The paper illustrates how a "traditional" genre such as the Mangalkabya was effectively used to articulate contingent political and cultural preoccupations. The narratives studied here show that the historical experiences and contexts mirrored in them were derived from Mughal rule over Bengal and large parts of India during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The paper seeks to historicize and contextualize the shifts noticeable in these narratives and to engage with the notion that premodern, precolonial India lacked a sense of history molded by contemporary material and cultural imperatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reconsiders the concept of “syncretism,” and identifies its range and implications when applied to the analysis of the saintly cult of the Hindus and Muslims in Bengal. The mausoleum of Manamohan Datta (1877–1909) is situated in what is currently eastern Bangladesh. Both Hindus and Muslims in the area join together in the various rituals held at the mausoleum. The article discusses the social and cultural factors that explain the sharing of rituals and beliefs by these people. In particular, word correspondences in the religious vocabulary facilitates the mutual acceptance of different cultural forms and norms. The article also examines the critical discourses on syncretistic situations related to the mausoleum in the context of contemporary Bangladesh. Finally, the article discusses the usefulness of the concept of syncretism in elucidating the social and cultural conditions which make possible religious pluralism and multiple discourses. The article opens with a literature review and a statement of the problems. This is followed by a brief history of Saint Manomohan and a description of the ritual practices at the mausoleum. The pluralistic structure of these practices is then examined, and the conditions for acceptance of pluralistic practices are discussed with reference to the critical discourses conducted by the local population. The findings are summed up in a conclusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the economic and philosophical inadequacies that have characterised the Project Tiger scheme in India. Launched in the 1970s to protect the habitats of the Royal Bengal Tiger, Project Tiger has over time evolved into a management system that has abstracted the tiger from its habitat by highlighting its charismatic functions. However the abstraction has also caused the tiger to be valued for its narrow consumptive uses. By comparison the habitats that have nurtured the tiger have received less attention. The paper critiques partial equilibrium frameworks that have attempted to value a tiger in terms of demand and supply functions rather than as an integral element of an ecosystem. While considering the superiority of the Total Economic Value concept as a value-determining method, the paper also points to the limitation of the concept in not addressing the conflicts between use and non-use values of a tiger. In the light of these facts, the paper advances the theory of complementarity as a valuation approach that considers the tiger and its habitat as a joint resource that needs to be protected and conserved in the larger interests of biodiversity conservation in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examines the campaign to suppress the criminal fraternity of thugs in the press in Bengal, India in the 1830s. Emphasis on information, its circulation and dissemination; Idea of using regional papers as the means by which the public was to be convinced of the reality of the thug menace; Cumulative effect of notices and reports; Thuggee Department's presentation of the thug menace; Main difference between the reports of the native papers and those of their European counterparts.

In this study, the focal mechanism solutions and source parameters of recent earthquakes that occurred in the northeastern region of India have been determined. The region has very complex tectonics as it is subjected to the compressional forces from all sides, due to the collision of the Indian Plate with the Eurasian, Burma and Tibetan plates. Waveform data from deployed broad-band seismographs (BBS) and strong motion accelerographs (SMA) in the northeastern India are used to determine the focal mechanism solutions and source parameters of moderate earthquakes, respectively. The estimated focal mechanisms are used to understand the existing stress field in the region. It is found that the Shillong-Plateau as well as the Indo-Burma subduction zone is dominated by the compressional tectonic regime, Mikir Hills and Bengal basin are dominated by the trans-tension tectonic regime, and the easternmost Himalayan region is dominated by the strike-slip tectonic regime. The maximum horizontal stress direction Sh max is also determined for above subregions. The direction of Sh max is southeast in the Bengal basin, northeast in Mikir Hills and Indo-Burma subduction zone whereas it is NNE in Shillong Plateau and SSW in the eastern Himalayas. The estimated stress drop value of the earthquakes in the region ranges from 2.11 to 23.89 MPa. The relationship between the source parameters and focal mechanisms is also explored. It is found that the earthquakes with a strike-slip mechanism have the highest average stress drop (7.05 MPa) followed by reverse (6.82 MPa) and normal (5.12 MPa) in the northeastern region of India. According to the examined data set, the stress drop is found to be dependent on the type of focal mechanism, seismic moment and hypocentral depths. The comparison of the results with the Kachchh intraplate region in western India shows earthquakes in Kachchh have larger mean stress drop for all types of mechanisms. In both intraplate and interplate regions of India, the stress drop of earthquakes depends on the type of focal mechanism solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A comprehensive understanding of the dynamic characteristics of geomorphological, ecological, and human systems is essential to explaining complex charland (mid-channel island) processes and crafting and implementing policy measures. This work demonstrates that the characteristics and outcomes of riparian hazards are determined by the interactive dynamics between hydrogeology and human conditions, which constitutes a novel contribution to the literature in this research area. We further contend that such dynamic social-ecological systems demand a flexible, adaptive management and planning approach. The present research has three key interdisciplinary objectives: (i) to analyze the salient features and characteristics of the geomorphological and riparian systems of the Bengal Delta; (ii) to analyze the evolutionary discourse of the legal systems concerning eroded (diluvion) and accreted (alluvion) land in Bangladesh; and (iii) to assess the characteristics of the coping and adaptation strategies employed by charland inhabitants. The findings of this research reveal that delta-building processes, which are characterized by dynamic shifts in the river channels, along with the erosion and accretion of charlands have made Bangladesh's land and water systems very dynamic and unstable. The destabilization of these systems increases the inhabitants' vulnerability to riparian hazards, which consistently results in the displacement of settlers and, consequently, a serious deterioration in their socioeconomic status. At present, Bangladesh does not have an effective institutional framework and structure for resettlement planning; therefore, the formulation of a comprehensive national resettlement policy with adequate flexibility to adapt to changing scenarios is urgently needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The enthralling sweet taste that mesmerizes the eastern part of India, or more specifically the undivided Bengal (West Bengal and Bangladesh) is unveiled. The ethnic sweetmeats that originated in Bengal varied over their primary ingredients, size, shape, and process of production due to variation in the context of geographical, cultural, and religious beliefs. In total, thirty-eight numbers of sweet products that are originated in Bengal are reconnoitered along with their nutritional composition and shelf life. Based on the key ingredients, the sweetmeats can be divided into nine classes, namely, chhana-based, pulse-based, fried, milk-skin-based, extruded rice-based, fermented, khoa-based, fruit-based, and sugar-based. Nutritional heritage comes along with health-related benefits to mankind; the racial sweetmeats produced in undivided Bengal have crucial medicinal and gastronomical importance. The sweetmeats are basically the assimilation of ancestral Bengali tradition, rituals, and convictions through the cascade of time. The classical and folk processing methods practiced from antediluvian times have had a prominent impression on the taste and nutritional comportment of the sweets produced. To the best of our knowledge, this article is the first attempt to scientifically document the integrity of the processing methods, nutritional content, and health benefits of traditional sweetmeats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of an effective and profitable exploration and production depends heavily on the quality of the reservoir. The primary goal of this study was to evaluate the reservoir quality of the Neogene Surma Group at the Srikail Gas Field, which is situated in the western part of the eastern folded belt of the Bengal Basin, Bangladesh. Wire-line logs, core analysis, petrography, X-Ray diffraction (XRD) and a scanning electron microscope (SEM) were used to understand the depositional and diagenetic controls of the quality of the reservoir. The Surma Group of the Srikail Gas Field was deposited in a delta system with a dominant influence of tide. The subarkosic to sublitharenitic Neogene Surma Group sandstones have primary porosities ranging from 0% to 25.8%, with an average of 21.5%, and the secondary porosity is approximately 7%. The range of log porosity ranges from 15% to 22.2%, while log permeability and core permeability vary from 3.01 to 54.09 mD and 0.1 to 76 mD, respectively. The primary porosity had been destroyed mainly by mechanical and ductile grain compaction. Most of the clay minerals (illite/illite-smectite, chlorite and kaolinite) in sandstone occur as grain coatings, grain lining (rim) and a few occur as pore-filling. This study reveals that the reservoir quality is predominantly controlled by the depositional environment (sediment texture and facies, ductile grain supply, clay content), and diagenetic process (mainly mechanical and ductile grain compaction followed by clay cement). The information gathered from this research will be useful for future petroleum production and for enhancing predictability in order to find new prospects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The Neogene sandstones offer hydrocarbon reservoirs in the offshore area of the Bay of Bengal (Bangladesh), but their reservoir quality is not well known. Understanding the impact of depositional and diagenetic controls on reservoir quality is crucial to hydrocarbon exploration and production in reservoir sandstones. This study aims to investigate the depositional and diagenetic controls on reservoir quality of the Neogene Surma Group from the Sangu Gas Field (the only offshore gas field), in the Bay of Bengal, Bangladesh using a combination of petrographical, petrophysical, X‐ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope fitted with energy dispersive spectra and core analysis data. Diagenetic modifications to the sandstones include mechanical and ductile grain compaction followed by clay cementation (dominantly chlorite, illite–smectite and minor kaolinite), poikilotopic calcite cement and subordinate amounts of quartz cement, as well as partial dissolution of feldspars and lithic fragments. Sandstones with primary porosities ≥20% have average intergranular volume value of 33%, although permeability in most sections of the reservoir falls below 8–10 mD. There has also been localized creation of secondary porosity due to dissolution. The average intergranular porosity lost by compaction is 14% (ranges from 3% to 37%), and the average porosity lost by cementation is 10% (ranges from 3% to 37%). This study shows that the reservoir quality is predominantly controlled by depositional environment (ductile grain supply, clay content), a diagenetic processes (compaction followed by clay cement and early to intermediate poikilotopic calcite cement) and will provide insights into the reservoir quality evaluation in the offshore areas of the Bengal Basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lorises are a group of globally threatened strepsirrhine primates that exhibit many unusual physiological and behavioral features, including a low metabolic rate, slow movement, and hibernation. Here, we assembled a chromosome-level genome sequence of the pygmy loris (Xanthonycticebus pygmaeus) and resequenced whole genomes from 50 pygmy lorises and 6 Bengal slow lorises (Nycticebus bengalensis). We found that many gene families involved in detoxification have been specifically expanded in the pygmy loris, including the GSTA gene family, with many newly derived copies functioning specifically in the liver. We detected many genes displaying evolutionary convergence between pygmy loris and koala, including PITRM1. Significant decreases in PITRM1 enzymatic activity in these two species may have contributed to their characteristic low rate of metabolism. We also detected many evolutionarily convergent genes and positively selected genes in the pygmy loris that are involved in muscle development. Functional assays demonstrated the decreased ability of one positively selected gene, MYOF, to up-regulate the fast-type muscle fiber, consistent with the lower proportion of fast-twitch muscle fibers in the pygmy loris. The protein product of another positively selected gene in the pygmy loris, PER2, exhibited weaker binding to the key circadian core protein CRY, a finding that may be related to this species’ unusual circadian rhythm. Finally, population genomics analysis revealed that these two extant loris species, which coexist in the same habitat, have exhibited an inverse relationship in terms of their demography over the past 1 million years, implying strong interspecies competition after speciation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Immaterial is the property of BAU, Centro Universitario de Diseno de Barcelona and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)