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Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat conducted five hundred fifty Cluster Front Line Demonstrations (CFLDs) on toria covering 577 nos. of beneficiary in 32 villages at two development blocks of Majuli district of Assam during 2015-16 to 2020-21. The study was conducted to study the impact of Cluster Front Line Demonstrations conducted by KVK, Jorhat on socio-economic condition, technology adoption and technology gap, adoption pattern of the improved technology among beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries of the district. The results showed that the Cluster Front Line Demonstrations of the new technologies increased crop yield and net income of the participating farmers from toria cultivation. The average yield of toria varieties under the demonstration was 1007 kg/ha as compared to 674 kg/ha in the farmers practices. The highest mean yield of toria under the technology demonstrated was 1057 kg/ha and the lowest was 956 kg/ha. The mean technology gap (TG), extension gap (EG) and technology index (TI) was 1.93 q/ha, 3.32 q/ha and 16.12 percent respectively which indicates need for improvement of the extension services in educating the farmers for dissemination and adoption of the improved technologies. Lower technology index in the study indicates the efficient performance of the technology. The technology index has reduced from 17.67% to 12.67% from the year 2016-17 to 2020-21 which indicates the adoption as well as feasibility of the technology demonstrated at location specific farmers’ field. The mean gross return (Rs.32, 617.60/ha), net return (Rs. 16,636.00/ha), additional return (Rs. 10,764.52/ha) and benefit cost ratio (1.97) were found higher under improved technology demonstrated as compared to farmers practice. Thus, higher benefit cost ratio proved economic feasibility of the improved technology demonstrated in both the blocks of Majuli district of Assam.

Agriculture is the oldest and most dangerous occupation as compared to other occupations. Agriculture is the major national economic contributor for under-developed nations such as India, Brazil, and South Korea. It was estimated that nearly half of the world labor force involved in agricultural activities. An attempt was undertaken to assess the environmental parameters and occupational health hazards in the view point of environmental conditions in post harvest activities. Three blocks were selected randomly from Jorhat sub-division. Two villages from each block were selected randomly and there by all together six villages and 300 farm women were selected proportionately. Both interview and experimental method was considered for collection of data. Personal and demographic characteristics of the respondents showed that 82 per cent belonged to marginal farmers having 1 acre of land. As regards to age of the respondents, 88 per cent falls in the age group of 30-40 years. The mean temperature was found to be 22°C and mean relative humidity (RH) was observed to be 49 per cent. The lighting condition revealed that the illuminance level were ranges from 21 lux to 95 lux. It was found that mean noise level was 110 db which was more than the permissible limit. Hazards faced by farm women in post harvest activities due to the environmental factors are pain or cramps, indigestion, eye strain, watering of eyes, blurred vision or vision problem, loss of hearing capacity, temporary deafness, headaches and faintness due to working under cold, humid, noisy and inadequate lighting conditions. It was apparent that 63 per cent respondents were belonged to ‘high’ incidence of environmental hazards during the performance of post harvest activities. The angles of average flexion was highest in upper arm (90.62) and extension was in thoracic and it was observed 115.30°indicating deviation of body parts.

Aim: Shifting cultivation is a widespread land-use in many tropical countries that also harbours significant levels of biodiversity. Increasing frequency of cultivation cycles and expansion into old-growth forests have intensified the impacts of shifting cultivation on biodiversity and carbon sequestration. We assessed how bird diversity responds to shifting cultivation and the potential for co-benefits for both biodiversity and carbon in such landscapes to inform carbon-based payments for ecosystem service (PES) schemes. Location: Nagaland, Northeast India. Methods: We surveyed above-ground carbon stocks and bird communities across various stages of a shifting cultivation system and old-growth forest using composite carbon sampling plots and repeated point counts directly overlaying the carbon plots in both summer and winter. We assessed species diversity using species accumulation and rarefaction curves based on Hill numbers. We fitted a linear mixed-effect model to assess the relationship between species richness and fallow age. We also examined possible co-benefits between carbon and biodiversity from fallow regeneration in terms of relative community similarity to old-growth forest across carbons stocks. Results: Farmland and secondary forests regenerating on fallowed land had similar bird species richness to old-growth forests in summer and relatively higher species richness in winter. Within regenerating fallows, we did not find any strong evidence that fallow age influenced bird species richness. Bird community resemblance to old-growth forest increased with secondary forest maturity, correlating also with carbon stocks in summer. However, bird community assemblage did not show a strong association with habitat types and carbon stocks during winter. Main conclusions: This study underscores the important role of traditional non-intensive shifting cultivation in providing refuges for biodiversity within heterogeneous habitat mosaics. Effectively managing these landscapes is crucial for both biodiversity conservation and carbon sequestration in the subtropics.

Present research entails an in-depth analysis on the effect of two secondary host plants of eri silkworm viz., borpat (Ailanthus grandis Prain) and borkesseru (Ailanthus excels Roxb.) and seasons on yarn parameters of eri silk as quality of silk depends on food quality and rearing season. Seasons had significant effect on all the yarn parameters viz., yarn size, breaking load, tenacity and elongation except twist per inch. Significantly the highest yarn size (10.26s) was observed in autumn season which was at par with the spring season. But the maximum breaking load (0.67 kg) and tenacity (1.40 g/denier) were recorded in spring season and elongation (26.54%) in early summer season. Regardless of the seasons, significantly the higher breaking load (0.64 kg) and tenacity (1.51 g/denier) were recorded on the borkesseru leaves. The interaction effect of seasons and two host plants on eri silk yarn was found to be non-significant. Diversiform effect of both the seasons and the host plants pertaining to yarn characters were witnessed. It can be ensured that all the seasons and host plants are relevant with slight alteration in the yarn quality.

Integrated farming system (IFS) based shifting cultivation reduces soil erosion and outperform in terms of productivity and income generation in North-Eastern Hills of India. To address this hypoth...

Surveys were conducted during November – February (2015–16 to 2017–18) to collect Sclerotinia sclerotiorum infected plant parts of various hosts from different agro-ecological regions of Assam, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and West Bengal. Thirty-seven S. sclerotiorum cultures were isolated from the infected plant parts collected from the crop fields with disease incidence ranging from 3.3–20.0%. Rumex scutatus was recorded as a host of the fungus for the first time in the world and five other plant genera were identified as new hosts in India. Phenotypic variability was observed for growth pattern, morphological characteristics, sclerotial characteristics and pathogenic diversity. Isolates varied on the basis of the colony colour of which 83.3% were light-brown to whitish and the rest were brown to black. Majority of the isolates (58.33%) exhibited medium growth rate, whereas, 36.1 and 5.57% were having low and high growth rate, respectively. Nearly, 89% of the isolates belonged to moderate and low sclerotia forming groups. Almost 44.4, 38.9 and 16.7% of the isolates belonged to less, moderately and highly aggressive groups, respectively. Growth rate and biomass conjointly explained 42.0% of the variation in the virulence of the isolates. Further, pectinase and oxalic acid production could explain 54.9% of the variation in the virulence of the isolates. Eleven MCGs were identified and isolates with similar aggressiveness mostly belonged to the same group. S. sclerotiorum isolates exhibited significant variations in morphological, cultural, biochemical and pathogenic variability with potential to emerge as an important pathogen in the eastern and north eastern region of the country.

The fall armyworm (FAW, Spodoptera frugiperda) is a major crop pest in southern Africa. It threatens the livelihoods and food security of smallholder farmers in the region by negatively impacting maize yield. Although scientific evidence suggests that natural enemy-mediated predation can potentially reduce FAW infestation, the effectiveness of natural enemies such as birds, bats, parasitoids, and generalist predators on FAW is poorly understood. This study reviews existing literature to assess how birds, bats, parasitoids, and generalist predators’ control FAW infestation, as well as the role of forest or tree cover in natural enemy mediated pest control of FAW in maize in southern Africa. We then present a case study to examine the role of forest proximity in reducing FAW infestation in maize in Zimbabwe. We conclude that birds, bats, parasitoids, and generalist predators are likely drivers of the reduced success of FAW near forests in southern Africa. While predators influence FAW survival and development, their role is largely undermined by parasitoids, which are more efficient in affecting FAW populations. Birds, bats, parasitoids, and generalist predators play an important role in controlling FAW on farms in heterogenous landscapes with diverse vegetation and near-forest proximity. The findings of our case study from Zimbabwe suggest that the distance to forest had a much higher impact on FAW incidence than maize variety, planting date, or the rate of nitrogen applied. Lack of enough case studies from maize in southern Africa makes it challenging to assess the mechanism and the effectiveness of bird predation on FAW. For this reason, further research is necessary to examine how predation by birds, bats and arthropods and parasitism impacts maize yield. We discuss research barriers, recommend appropriate methods for experimental studies, and suggest possible management options to control FAW in southern Africa.

Planar hypercoordinate structures are gaining immense attention due to the shift from common paradigm. Herein, our high level ab initio calculations predict that planar pentacoordinate aluminium and gallium centres in Cu5Al2+ and Cu5Ga2+ clusters are global minima in their singlet ground states. These clusters are thermodynamically and kinetically very stable. Detailed electronic structure analyses reveal the presence of both σ and π aromaticity which is the driving force for the stability of the planar form.

Planar hypercoordinate structures are gaining immense attention due to the shift from common paradigm. Herein, our high level ab initio calculations predict that planar pentacoordinate aluminium and gallium centres in Cu5Al2+ and Cu5Ga2+ clusters are global minima in their singlet ground states. These clusters are thermodynamically and kinetically very stable. Detailed electronic structure analyses reveal the presence of σ-aromaticity which is the driving force for the stability of the planar form.

Planar pentacoordinate zinc group elements, (M = Zn, Cd, Hg) were computationally found to be at a global minimum in Li

Stability on dual solutions of second-grade fluid flow over a stretching surface with simultaneous thermal and mass diffusions has been studied. The fluid flow is governed by Lorentz force and energy dissipation due to viscosity. Lorentz force is generated due to the application of magnetic field along the transverse direction. In methodology, suitable similarity transformation and MATLAB built-in bvp4c solver technique have been adopted. Effects of some flow parameters are exhibited through figures and tables and a special emphasis is given on the existence of dual solutions. A stability analysis is executed to determine the stable and physically achievable solutions. For the laminar flow, the drag force on the surface for the time-independent case is reduced due to amplifying values of But, it enhances the drag force for the time-dependent case. This shows the effectiveness of the first solution (during steady case) over the unsteady case.

Context Integrated landscape approaches (ILAs) that aim to balance conservation and development targets are increasingly promoted through science, policy, and the donor community. Advocates suggest that ILAs are viable implementing pathways for addressing global challenges such as biodiversity loss, poverty alleviation, and climate change mitigation and adaptation. However, we argue that recent advances in ILA research and discourse have tended to emphasize the social and governance dimensions, while overlooking ecological factors and inadequately considering potential trade-offs between the two fields. Objectives By raising the issue of inadequate integration of ecology in ILAs and providing some general design suggestions, we aim to support and incentivise better design and practice of ILAs, supplementing existing design principles. Methods In this perspective we draw on the recent literature and our collective experience to highlight the need, and the means, to re-integrate ecology into landscape approaches. Results We suggest that better incorporation of the ecological dimension requires the integration of two approaches: one focusing on conventional scientific studies of biodiversity and biophysical parameters; and the other focusing on the engagement of relevant stakeholders using various participatory methods. We provide some general guidelines for how these approaches can be incorporated within ILA design and implementation. Conclusion Re-integrating ecology into ILAs will not only improve ecological understanding (and related objectives, plans and monitoring), but will also generate insights into local and traditional knowledge, encourage transdisciplinary enquiry and reveal important conservation-development trade-offs and synergies.

Early presentation for childhood cataract surgery is an important first step in preventing related visual impairment and blindness. In the absence of neonatal eye screening programmes in developing countries, the early identification of childhood cataract remains a major challenge. The primary aim of this study was to identify potential barriers to accessing childhood cataract services from the perspective of parents and carers, as a critical step towards increasing the timely uptake of cataract surgery. In-depth interviews were conducted using a pre-designed topic guide developed for this study to seek the views of parents and carers in nine geographic locations across eight states in India regarding their perceived barriers and enablers to accessing childhood cataract services. A total of 35 in-depth interviews were conducted including 30 at the hospital premises and 5 in the participants’ homes. All interviews were conducted in the local language and audio taped for further transcription and analysis. Data were organised using NVivo 11 and a thematic analysis was conducted utilising the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF), an integrative framework of behavioural theories. The themes identified from interviews related to 11 out of 12 TDF domains. TDF domains associated with barriers included: ‘Environmental context and resources’, ‘Beliefs about consequences’ and ‘Social influences’. Reported enablers were identified in three theoretical domains: ‘Social influences’, ‘Beliefs about consequences’ and ‘Motivations and goals’. This comprehensive TDF approach enabled us to understand parents’ perceived barriers and enablers to accessing childhood cataract services, which could be targeted in future interventions to improve timely uptake.

Purpose This study investigates how and in what circumstances a school-based eye health programme, the Refractive Errors Among CHildren (REACH) programme, achieved its desired outcomes: accessibility, standards of refractive care, fidelity and availability of comprehensive services, for over 2 million school children in six districts across India. Methods We conducted a realist evaluation to identify programme aspects and their causal relationships with outcomes. Deductive and inductive thematic analysis of qualitative data included three phases: 1. theory gleaning, 2. eliciting programme theory, 3. revisiting programme theory. The Initial Programme Theories (IPTs) were developed and revised through review of the literature, programme documents and field notes. We reviewed informal and formal discussions from the participatory advisory workshops and conducted semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders for the development and refinement of the IPTs. We based our analysis on the programme designers' perspective; used contexts, mechanisms and outcomes configuration for the analysis and presentation of the findings and reported the revised IPTs for the REACH programme. Results We identified four major programme aspects of the REACH programme for evaluation: programme governing unit, human resource, innovation and technology and funding. Based on the intended outcomes of the programme, themes and contexts were sorted and IPTs were defined. We revised the IPTs based on the analysis of the interviews (n = 19). The contexts and mechanisms that were reported to have potential influence on the attainment of favourable programme outcomes were identified. The revisions to the IPTs included: co-designing a collaborative model and involving local government officials to reinforce trust, community partnerships; local well-trained staff to encourage participation; use of the web-based data capturing system with built-in quality control measures and continued technical support; pre-determined costs and targets for the outputs promoted transparency and adherence with costs. Conclusion This process provided a comprehensive understanding of the opportunities and possibilities for a large-scale school eye health programme in diverse local contexts in India. This illustrated the importance of embracing principles of system thinking and considering contextual factors for School Eye Health programmes in low and middle-income countries.

The influence of pH on the leaching behaviours of As, Cd, Cu, Mo, Ni, Pb, Se and Zn from a lead smelter slag was assessed to understand the ground water pollution potential of slag and the toxicity in geo-environmental conditions. Leaching of slag was investigated by using European EN 12457-2 and prEN 14429 leaching tests. The results obtained from prEN 14429 leaching test were used to determine the acid neutralization capacity (ANC) of slag. The pH dependent leaching results were further assessed by considering existing geo-chemical modeling results of similar types of wastes. Results indicate that the concentrations of some toxic metal and metalloid species in the leachate are higher than their specified limits prescribed for safe landfill disposal as inert or non-reactive hazardous solid waste as well as for safe disposal of effluent in inland surface water. The ANC values obtained for slag at pH values 7, 5 and 4 are 0.75 meqv/g, 3.72 meqv/g and 37.30 meqv/g respectively. The low ANC values as well as the high concentrations of majority of the toxic elements in leachates especially at the pH range of 5–7 indicate hazardous nature of slag for disposal under open atmosphere. The leaching behaviours of iron and calcium under varying pH conditions have profound effect on the pH dependent mobilities of most of the trace elements present in the slag. The sodium, potassium and chloride leaching from slag particularly in the pH range of 4–12 are pH independent and therefore do not have any effect on the mobilities of toxic elements.

PURPOSE: To better understand barriers of costs and attitudes toward pediatric cataract surgery in China and India.METHODS: From January 2014 to June 2015, families of children ≤ 10 years old about to undergo or having completed surgery for bilateral, non-traumatic cataract at two tertiary centers in China and India completed questionnaires regarding their demographic characteristics, financial status, living environment, health seeking behaviors, and medical burden.RESULTS: In China, 38 children (23 boys [60.5%], mean age 3.11 ± 2.88 years) were un-operated, and 44 (26 boys [59.1%], mean age 5.09 +/- 2.17 years) had undergone surgery, while in India there were 60 (44 boys [73.3%], mean age 4.61 +/- 3.32 years) and 39 (29 boys [74.4%], mean age 6.45 +/- 2.74 years) children respectively, 181 in total. Chinese children were younger at presentation (p ≤ 0.03 for both operated and un-operated) and also when cataract was detected (median [inter quartile range] 10 [3-34] versus 24 [6-60] months [p = 0.06] for un-operated, 5 [2-12] versus 36 [8-72] months [p < 0.001] for operated). Maternal education levels were lower in India (48.3% and 51.3% with elementary education only among un-operated [p = 0.11] and operated [p = 0.006] families in India versus 27.0% and 20.5% in China), as were rates of consulting medical practitioners for illness (44.7% and 36.4% for un-operated [p < 0.001] and operated [p = 0.001] in China versus 10% and 5.13% in India).CONCLUSIONS: Socioeconomic challenges to securing cataract surgery may be greater, and delays in obtaining surgery longer, in India compared to China, if these facilities are representative.

Shifting cultivation dominates many tropical forest regions. It is expanding into old‐growth forests, and fallow period duration is rapidly decreasing, limiting secondary forest recovery. Shifting cultivation is thus a major driver of carbon emissions through deforestation and forest degradation, and of biodiversity loss. The impacts of shifting cultivation on carbon stocks have rarely been quantified, and the potential for carbon‐based payments for ecosystem services (PES), such as REDD+, to protect carbon in shifting cultivation landscapes is unknown. We present empirical data on aboveground carbon stocks in old‐growth forest and shifting cultivation landscapes in northeast India, a hotspot of threatened biodiversity. We then model landscape‐level carbon stocks under business‐as‐usual scenarios, via expansion into the old‐growth forest or decreasing fallow periods, and intervention scenarios in which REDD+ is used to either reduce deforestation of primary or secondary forest or increase fallow period duration. We found substantial recovery of carbon stocks as secondary forest regenerates, with a 30‐yr fallow storing about one‐half the carbon of an old‐growth forest. Business‐as‐usual scenarios led to substantial carbon loss, with an 80% reduction following conversion of old‐growth forest to a 30‐yr shifting cultivation cycle and, relative to a 30‐yr cultivation landscape, a 70% reduction when switching to a 5‐yr cultivation cycle. Sparing old‐growth forests from deforestation using protected areas and intensifying cropping in the remaining area of shifting cultivation is the most optimal strategy for carbon storage. In areas lacking old‐growth forest, substantial carbon stocks accumulate over time by sparing fallows for permanent forest regeneration. Successful implementation of REDD+ in shifting cultivation landscapes can help avert global climate change by protecting forest carbon, with likely co‐benefits for biodiversity.

Purpose\ud Cataract is one of the major causes of avoidable visual disability in children and the aim of this study was to investigate the age at which children with cataract present for surgery at tertiary hospitals across India.\ud \ud Methods:\ud A prospective multicenter study collected data from 9 eye hospitals in 8 states in India. All children admitted for cataract surgery between Nov 2015 and March 2016 were considered eligible. Parents were interviewed at the hospital by trained personnel and socio demographic information, age at diagnosis and at surgery and the relevant clinical data were obtained from the medical records. Mean age, age range at surgery were used and performed logistic regression analyses. \ud \ud Results \ud Parents of 751 consecutive cases were interviewed, of which 469(63%) were boys and 548(73%) were from rural areas. Cataract was bilateral in 493 (66%) and unilateral in 258 (34%); of the unilateral cases, 179 (69%) were due to trauma. The mean age at surgery for ‘congenital’ and ‘developmental’ cataract was 48.2±50.9 and 99.7±46.42 months respectively and the mean age was lower in the southern region compared to other regions. Children with 2 or more siblings at home were five times more likely to undergo surgery within 12 months (OR, 4.69; 95% CI: 2.04 – 10.79; p =

Ocimum sanctum also known as Tulsi or Holybasil is an aromatic plant and it belongs to the family Lamiaceae. It is widely used as medicine to cure various ailments. The objective of the study was to analyse different phytochemical components of tulsi leaf. The dried powder of Tulsi (50g) was placed in the thimble of Soxhlet apparatus and the experiment was done separately for methanol, ethanol and distilled water. The percentage yield was 8%w/w,7%w/w, and 5%w/w respectively. The study reveals that various secondary metabolites such as carbohydrate, tannin, flavonoids, saponins, glycoside, terpenoid, fatty acids and phenol are present in tulsi leaf extract. From the quantitative analysis it was found that high amount of phenols are present in Tulsi leaf ranging from 1.6 to 7.6 percentages. Consequently the amount of alkaloid and flavonoids ranged from 0.91 to 1.28 and 1.56 to 2.24 percentages respectively. From the GC-MS analysis of methanolic extract three compounds were identified as major constituents viz., Eugenol , Benzene, 1, 2-dimethoxy- 4- (2- propenyl), α - Farnesene and Cyclohexane, 1, 2, 4- triethenyl. Thesephyto-chemicals are known to possess antiseptic, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antistress, immunomodulatory, hypoglycemic, hypotensive and antioxidant properties. Hence it is more beneficial to use tulsi asan herbal medicine as compare to chemically synthesized drug.

Aqueous extract of okra called here as bio-admixture was characterized and tested for using as a sustainable chemical admixture in the production of cement mortar and concrete . Several fresh and hardened states properties of cement mortars and concrete with and without the presence of bio-admixture were evaluated. Interactions of bio-admixture with cement particles during hydrations were also investigated by using conductometric and FTIR spectroscopic methods. Moreover, an improved method was developed to determine water retention capacity of cement pastes . Results indicate that the investigated bio-admixture exhibits viscosity enhancing property. In comparison to the reference cement paste, bio-admixture containing cement pastes have shorter setting times due to increasing hydration rate of cement particles. Solution chemistry and FTIR spectroscopic investigation indicate that the addition of bio-admixture enhances cement hydration rate. Increase hydration rate can be related with the interactions of pectin type heteropolysaccharides present in bio-admixture with Ca 2+ ions of cement paste. Compressive strengths of bio-admixture containing mortar and concrete are higher than that of the reference specimens at the investigated curing period. Deterioration of strength of bio-admixture based mortars cured in MgSO 4 -NaCl solution is distinctly less in comparison to reference, depicting higher durability under such conditions. Most of the properties of cement mortar and concrete are also dependent on the concentrations of bio-admixture in aqueous solution. Therefore, investigated bio-admixture can be considered as a low-cost, environmentally benign viscosity enhancing admixture for producing sustainable cement composites having improved mechanical and durability properties.

We present here for the first time, the Raman and infrared spectroscopic investigation of amphiboles from the World's deepest borehole, the Kola super-deep borehole, at the depth of 11.66 km. The Kola Super-deep borehole (SG-3) (henceforth referred as KSDB) is located in the northwest of the Kola Peninsula in the northern frame of the Pechenga structure, Russia. It was drilled in the north-eastern part of the Baltic Shield (69о5’N, 30о44’E) and reached a depth of 12.262 km. It has been drilled in the northern limb of the Pechenga geosyncline composed of rhythmically inter-bedded volcanogenic and tuffaceous-sedimentary strata extending to the NW at 300°–310° and dipping to SW at angles of 30°–50°. The SG-3 geological section is represented by two complexes – Proterozoic and Archaean. Amphibolite facies is dominant in the depth region from 6000 m to 12,000 m to the deepest. The Raman spectra of the sample reveal abundant presence of plagioclase and amphiboles. The most distinct Raman peak in this study indicates the tremolite-ferro-actinolite rich enrichment of the borehole samples at this depth corroborating earlier conventional petrographic studies.

We present here the Raman spectroscopic study of silicate and carbonaceous minerals in three ordinary chondrites with the aim to improve our understanding the impact process including the peak metamorphic pressures present in carbon-bearing ordinary chondites. The characteristic Raman vibrational peaks of olivines, pyroxenes, and plagioclase have been determined on three ordinary chondrites from India, Dergaon (H5), Mahadevpur (H4/5), and Kamargaon (L6). The Raman spectra of these meteorite samples show the presence of nanodiamonds at 1334–1345 cm−1 and 1591–1619 cm−1. The full-width at half maximum (FWHM) of Raman peaks for Mahadevpur and Dergaon reflect the nature of shock metamorphism in these meteorites. The frequency shift in Raman spectra might be because of shock effects during the formation of the diamond/graphite grains.

We present a brief overview of meteorites from the north-eastern India, with a focus on falls, finds, and research developments. To date, out of a total 150 numbers of meteorites fall/find in India (in Meteoritical Bulletin Database), only six meteorites from north-eastern region have received official international recognition from the Nomenclature Committee of the Meteoritical Society. Among these six meteorites, 2 finds and 4 falls, including one ureilite, two H chondrites and three L chondrites. The first meteorite from north-eastern India (Assam L5, Find) was documented in 1846. After a lack of 153 years, the first fall (Sabrum LL6 chondrite) was documented in 1999. The most recent fall is Kamargaon (L6) chondrite in 2015. Intensively researched meteorites of this region are Goalpara and Dergaon. The reported most massive meteorite of north-eastern India is Mahadevpur (H4/5) chondrite, 70.5 kg of total known weight, and the rest are

Purpose: The objective of this review is to estimate the prevalence of refractive errors, uncorrected refractive error (URE), and uncorrected presbyopia in adults aged ≥30 years in India. Methods: The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were followed. A detailed literature search was performed to include all studies published from India from the year 1990 using the Cochrane Library, Medline, and Embase. Refractive error was defined by >0.50 D ametropia. URE was defined by presenting visual acuity (PVA) worse than 6/18 improving with pinhole or spectacle correction, and uncorrected presbyopia by near vision

This study demonstrates the compositional and structural analysis of surface sediments in natural depositional environment of the Brahmaputra River using X-ray fluorescence, Raman spectroscopic and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic techniques. The main peaks in the Raman and infrared spectra reflected Al-OH, Al-O and Si-O functional groups in high frequency stretching and low frequency bending modes. The Raman and infrared spectra reveals the nature of clay (kaolinite) associated with quartz. The infrared spectra are indicative to the weathered metamorphic origin of the silicate minerals. The relative distributions of the contaminations in the sediment are: Si > Al > Fe > Mg > Ca > K > Ti > Mn > Cr >Ni > Zn > Cu > Co. The metal contaminations in the sediments are investigated by calculating the enrichment factor, contamination factor, geo-accumulation index and pollution load index. The relative distributions of the contamination among the samples are: Cu > Si > Mn > Mg > Ni > Cr > Ti > Al > Co > Pb > K > Ca > Zn. The investigating factors suggest the significant contamination in the sediment is due to Cu. The strong positive correlation among Al, Fe, Mg and K suggests association of sediments with clay. The elemental correlation is indicative to the metamorphosed pyrophanite (MnTiO3) deposition.

Shifting cultivation is a predominant land use across the tropics, feeding hundreds of millions of marginalised people, causing significant deforestation, and encompassing a combined area of land ten-fold greater than that used for oil palm and rubber. A key question is whether carbon-based payment for ecosystem services (PES) schemes can cost-effectively bring novel restoration and carbon-sensitive management practices to shifting agriculture. Using economic models that uniquely consider the substantial area of fallow land needed to support a single cultivated plot, we calculated the break-even carbon prices required for PES to match the opportunity cost of intervention in shifting agriculture. We do so in the North-east Indian biodiversity hotspot, where 35.4% of land is managed under shifting agriculture. We found net revenues of US$829.53 - 2581.95 per 30 ha when fallow area is included, which are an order of magnitude lower than previous estimates. Abandoning shifting agriculture entirely is highly feasible with break-even prices as low as US$1.33 t-1 CO2. The oldest fallow plots could be fully restored for US$0.89 t-1 CO2 and the expansion of shifting agriculture into primary forest halted for US$0.51 t-1 CO2, whereas abandoning short-fallow systems would cost US$12.60 t-1 CO2. A precautionary reanalysis accounting for extreme economic uncertainty and leakage costs suggests that all interventions, excluding abandoning short-fallow systems, remain economically viable with prices less than US$4.00 t-1 CO2. Even with poorly formed voluntary carbon markets, shifting agriculture represents a critical opportunity for low-cost forest restoration across a vast area.