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Soil compaction in the plow layer of soils is becoming a serious concern because of conventional tillage practices adopted by sugarcane growers utilizing a rotavator, particularly in medium to heav...

The present research demonstrates the design and development of a dual-compartment water purification proto-plant for microbial degradation of organic waste using microbial fuel cell technology and adsorptive removal of inorganic pollutants present in sewage water using highly crystalline chitosan grafted polyaniline (CHIT-g-PANI) and rice husk derived adsorbent. The materials were characterized by UV–Vis, infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and relevant standard methods. The observed results revealed the highly crystalline, biocompatible, porous nature of CHIT-g-PANI as electrode materials for effective microbial degradation of organic wastes of sewage water for generating electricity and water purification. Thus, observed parameters were power density of 6.496 w/m2, sustainable usability for 20 days, and removal of organic waste by 97% from sewage water. Furthermore, the above partially treated water was passed through an adsorption chamber filled with rice husk-derived adsorbents, which removes the 84.5% inorganic impurities of its original concentrations.

Introduction: An estimated 2.25 million new cancer cases with 7 lakh cancer deaths were reported, according to GLOBOCAN 2018 in India. There is a steady rise in cancer cases, but trends and patterns vary within the state depending on the geographic region. Objectives: To study the proportion and site-wise distribution of neoplasm reported at a tertiary care hospital in district Etawah, Uttar Pradesh, India. Material and Methods: A record based retrospective study was conducted at a tertiary care hospital in district Etawah, Uttar Pradesh. Total four years (from 2015 to 2018) hospital-based retrospective data were collected from the Medical Record Department. Identification and distribution of malignant neoplasm were done according to the WHO ICD-10 classification. Results: Total cases diagnosed with malignancy from January 2015 to December 2018 were 3614. Cancer cases reported over the years was 932 (25.8%) in 2015, 1031 (28.5%) cases in 2016, 897 (24.8%) in 2017 and 754 (20.9%) in 2018. It was found that breast carcinoma (24.0%) accounted for the maximum number of cases diagnosed, followed by lung carcinoma (10.9%), cervical cancer (8.7%), gall bladder carcinoma (8%), and oral cavity cancer (7.9%). Conclusion: The present study reveals that the malignancy of the breast is most common, followed by malignancies of lung, cervix, and gall bladder among the patients who were seeking care in a tertiary care hospital of the district Etawah Uttar Pradesh, India.

Fifty one Trichoderma isolates were isolated from sugarcane rhizosphere soil using selective culture media and characterized for their cultural and morphological characteristics. Trichoderma isolates were evaluated in-vitro conditions for their bio-control activity against Fusarium spp., the causal agent of Pokkah boeng disease of sugarcaneby dual culture method, an assay for production of volatile inhibitory metabolites and mycoparasitism. Morphological and genetic characterization was carried out. There was not much variability in colony characters and growth rate among fifty-one isolates of Trichoderma spp. Among the Trichoderma isolates, twenty promising Trichoderma isolates were molecularly identified as T. harzianum, T. afroharzianum, T. atrobrunneum, T. aureoviride, and T. asperellum. It can be concluded that predominantly Trichoderma harzianum and other allied spp., are abundant in the sugarcane rhizospheric ecosystem. In dual culture assay, twenty isolates showed > 70% linear growth inhibition against F. fujikuroi and F. proliferatum. Twenty promising isolates were further screened for the production of inhibitory volatile metabolites. Among them, nine isolates showed growth inhibition > 7% against both Fusarium spp. Mycoparasitism was observed in eleven isolates, among them four isolates viz., T28, T38, T49, and T41 showed parallel mycoparasitism against F. fujikuroi while seven isolates (T9, T17, T26, T28, T41, T49, and T40) showed coiling around F. proliferatum hyphae. Thus, the four most promising strains viz. T28, T38, T41, and T49 were identified as potential Trichoderma spp., and need to screen further for disease management in field conditions. On the basis of the antagonistic study, it can be concluded that T. harzianum strain T28, T. aureoviride strainT38, T. harzianum strain T41, and T. harzianum strain T49 are potential candidates for being explored further as biocontrol agents for the management of Pokkah boeng disease.

Intercropping of mustard or potato in sugarcane in relation to traditional non-intercropping rotation on microbial diversity, soil quality and crop productivity was assessed in a 3-year cropping system trial. The systems consisted of sugarcane + mustard–ratoon–cowpea (SmRC), sugarcane + potato–ratoon–wheat (SpRW) and a standard sugarcane–ratoon–wheat (SRW) rotation. The SpRW system recorded a significantly higher cane equivalent yield (120.4 t ha−1) than SmRC (109.4 t ha−1) and SRW (92.6 t ha−1), which was 10.1% and 30.0% greater, respectively. However, the highest microbial activities (microbial counts, microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen and basal soil respiration), soil enzymes, total carbon (TC) and nitrogen (TN), available N, Zn, Cu, Fe and cation exchange capacity (CEC) were recorded for SmRC system. The available K and S content were greater in SRW, while the highest average substrate oxidation rate was recorded in SmRC (0.00291 OD h−1), which was 14.1% and 7.58% more than that of SpRW and SRW systems, respectively. Moreover, SmRC significantly increased functional diversity indices and soil quality index. Total N, soil organic carbon, available P and S were identified as the key soil quality indicators, contributing 31.8, 30.9, 12.9 and 10.8% toward quality development, respectively. The highest functional diversity indices of microbial community, soil quality and crop productivity under intercropping are the result of greater SOC, TC, TN, microbial and enzymatic activities. In conclusion, intercropping of mustard or potato in sugarcane could be the way to increase crop productivity in limited land resources in subtropical areas of India.

Introduction: Indian phenotype having greater abdominal adiposity, higher waist circumference (WC) & lower body mass index (BMI), thereby making the indians more prone to diabetes and it’s complications. Type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) worldwide known for its morbidity and mortality. Recent studies have demonstrated that the abnormal levels of adipocytokines (Adiponectin, leptin) may contribute to Insulin resistance (IR) and T2DM. Aim: The present study aimed to analyze circulatory levels of Adiponectin & Leptin with Insulin Resistance in study subjects compared with control subject & Type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Materials and Methods: A total 120 T2DM patients and 120 healthy subjects aged between 30 and 60 years who were Non-diabetic, Non-hypertensive and having no family history of hypertension visiting to Medicine OPD were included in study. Parameters such as age, sex, anthropometric measures and biochemical indicators like fasting and postprandial blood sugar, lipid profile, adiponectin, leptin, fasting insulin, HOMA-IR & systolic and diastolic blood pressure were determined & compared with control subjects. Result: Adiponectin levels were reported significantly lower in T2DM group whereas Leptin levels were significantly higher in T2DM group compared to non-diabetics group (P

Late (summer) planting of sugarcane is very much common in subtropical India. Due to the adoption of sugarcane–ratoon–wheat cropping system in the region, sugarcane planting is delayed. Delay in planting of sugarcane reduces the period of tillering. Thus to improve tillering, growth, and yield of late-planted sugarcane, a field experiment was conducted to assess the four levels of seed cane material (S1: conventional 3 bud setts, S2: sett soaking in water for 4 h S3: sett soaking in 100 ppm ethrel solution for 4 h and S4: foliar application of 100 ppm ethrel and mixture of 1% urea on seed cane, one week before planting) and two levels of NPK fertilizers with and without microbial consortia (M1: 50% of recommended NPK with microbial consortia (Pseudomonas fluorescens (phosphate-solubilizing bacteria) + Gluconacetobacter + Trichoderma); M2: Recommended NPK (150 kg ha−1, 25 kg ha−1, 50 kg ha−1 without microbial consortia). Foliar spray of ethrel increased total N uptake by 47.27% at the harvest stage (145.9 kg ha−1). An improvement of 36.40% in P accumulation was recorded with foliar application of ethrel on seed cane as compared to control during the tillering phase. However, P improvement in stalk increased to the level of 18.71 kg ha−1 at harvest stage. Foliar spray of ethrel accumulated 33.04% higher K than control (124.4 kg a−1) at harvest. About 26.16% improvement in individual cane weight was recorded with foliar application of ethrel. Thus, foliar application of ethrel improved sugarcane (73.15 t ha−1) and sugar yield (8.55 t ha−1). Integrated use of microbial consortia and 50% of recommended NPK could bring forth 9.85% (68.48 t ha−1) and 7.86% (8.10 t ha−1) improvement in sugarcane and sugar yields over the recommended NPK in summer-planted sugarcane in subtropical India.

An efficient potential triggering process has been established over chemically functionalized sodium alginate grafted polyaniline (SA-g-PANI) under optimum conditions to enable the sensing and extraction of residual mercury ions present in wastewater and soil samples. The observed sensing and extraction parameters were a sensing range of 1.0 nM to 1000 μM, sensitivity of 0.25 mV μM−1 cm−2, response time of 55 s, recovery time of 15 s, limit of detection of 0.33 nM, and a stability of 60 d, along with 78% extraction after the application of an optimized external potential on the sensing electrode. Furthermore, the sensing and extraction mechanism is explained on the basis of the developed induced potential that occurs after the electrochemical surface interaction between Hg2+ and the SA-g-PANI based electrode, along with the repeatability and scale-up possibilities.

Tremendous benefits have been derived from the use of fungicides but excessive use of chemical fungicides not only posing threat to human and animal life but also contaminates the prevailing environment. Damage by pathogenic fungi alone causes significant damage to crops like maize, rice, wheat, soybeans, and potatoes. Therefore, it becomes imperative that these diseases are checked and controlled, for which chemical pesticides are being sprayed on plants extensively. Considering the devastating damage and toxicity, the global focus has taken a drift from synthetic chemicals to nature-friendly biological control agents. The present study focuses on the use of biological control agents particularly Trichoderma in sugarcane during Pokkah boeng infection. In the present experiment, twenty promising Trichoderma strains were evaluated for plant growth promotion, lytic enzymes, and physiological and biocontrol activity. Out of the twenty, four potential Trichoderma strains were assessed in the pot experiment viz. T. harzianum strain T28, T41 and T49 and T. aureoviride strain T38. The T. harzianum (T28) showed efficient plant growth-promoting traits as it produced IAA (20.67 µg/ml), phosphorus solubilization (18.57 µg/ml), and cell wall degrading enzymes such as chitinase (24.98 µg/ml) and β-glucanase (29.98 µg/ml). The interference of biocontrol agent T. harzianum (T28) controlled the disease by 73.55%. Apart from this, the inoculation of Trichoderma (T28) enhanced growth attributes including germination percentage (26.61%), mean tiller number (8.28 tiller/pot), individual cane length (241.5 cm), single cane weight (1.13 kg) and the number of milleable canes (6.00 cane/pot). Improvements in physiological activities at different growth stages of the sugarcane crop were observed based on the photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) on the leaf surface, transpiration rate, stomatal conductance, and photosynthetic rate. Further, improvement in juice quality parameters was also observed as it recorded the highest

This work reviews the progress in the area of high current density electron emitters, specifically for use in high frequency and high-power microwave vacuum electron devices. The review is divided into two subsections: 1) thermionic cathodes and 2) field emission cathodes. The thermionic cathode section includes the discussion on the M-type, MM-type, Scandate and the CPD cathodes. CPD cathode promises better usability in a practical device as compared to the Scandate cathodes which are limited by emission nonuniformity, poor resistance to poisoning/ion bombardment and low life. With the increasing demand for miniaturized and high power VEDs in the near future, the development of high current density field emission cathodes is of immediate interest to the VED community. The Spindt, CNT, and graphene-based emitters are the potential candidates in the field emitters section. Graphene-based film cathodes, when compared to the Mo/Si FEAs and the CNTs, offer larger emission area as well as high current carrying capability. This review includes the evolution of the emission capabilities of the emitters, state-of-the-art performances, and possible future developments.

Scandate cathode made out of tungsten nanoparticles have several advantages such as high current density, uniform emission, and long life over conventional cathode. Fabrication of porous tungsten pellet out of tungsten nanoparticles by pressing and sintering is a critical challenge. Cold pressing followed by sintering of nanoparticles results shrinkage of pellet size and uncontrolled porosity, which motivate us to work on sintering of nanoparticle. A new chemical synthesis approach was adopted for precisely controlling the powder particle parameters. The present technology relates to the preparation of an ultra-fine nano-scandate powder using chemical route, dissolving tungsten, and rhenium powder in special solvent under ultra-agitation, wherein the other constituents (such as Ba, Ca, Sc, and alumina) are uniformly distributed throughout the powder. Dissolving tungsten and rhenium in the solution, and further sol–gel process, resulted in the formation of spherical shaped particles. Nanoparticles were characterized using: (1) X-ray diffraction (XRD) for phase purity of powder, (2) Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM) for particle size and distribution, (3) Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) to study the surface micro-features such as pore dimension and pore distribution and (d) Energy Dispersive Analysis of X-rays (EDAX) for elemental composition. The results showed that the powder has uniform grain size with an average particle diameter of ~100 nm. In this proposed work, rhenium has been co-doped with scandia doped tungsten nanoparticles in order to improve shrinkage. Addition of rhenium in scandia doped tungsten nanoparticles showed about 10% less shrinkage compared with scandia doped tungsten nanoparticle.

Crop diversification provides an opportunity for farmers to maximize their profits, fulfilling multiple needs, avoid monsoon threats, and make the crop production system sustainable. Inclusion of various pulse/oilseed/vegetables/cereals/medicinal/aromatic crops with sugarcane brings forth cultivation of these crops in irrigated agro-system and improves the yields of component crops. Besides, the component crops improve soil fertility and create a favorable environment for the further growth of sugarcane crops. Sprouting in winter-initiated sugarcane ratoon could be enhanced by adopting fodder legumes such as Indian clover and Egyptian clover. Intercropping vegetables provides an ample opportunity for mid-season income generation and improves profitability. Besides, high-value medicinal and aromatic crops such as tulsi (holy basil), mentha could also be included in the sugarcane-based system. Crop residue management has been recognized as a critical issue in managing the crops in the various cropping systems. Including multiple bio-agents for fast decomposition of crop residues provides scope for managing soil organic carbon through crop residue recycling in the system. Resource use efficiencies, nutrient use, water use, and weed control could be increased by adopting suitable crops in intercropping systems. An integrated farming system involving crop, livestock, and fisheries options could improve farmers' profit besides employment generation in rural India. Recycling of bye products and co-products of other enterprises influences the viability and farmer's profitability of the system. Trash, press mud cake, vinasse, composted bagasse, rhizodeposition of stubble play a significant role in sustaining soil fertility and increasing crop productivity. New emerging crop diversification options, viz., intercropping of

Increasing numbers of female victims of violent sexual assaults are being murdered with the aim of concealing the identity of the perpetrator. Proper handling and analysis of evidence is very important in gaining a conviction in many criminal cases. After evidence is collected, due precautions must be taken to ensure that the integrity of the sample is maintained, and chances of contamination are minimised. This paper presents a case study where improper handling of biological evidence led to loss of evidentiary value, and the semen could not be located on the vaginal swabs and victim’s garments due to improper preservation of samples. However, the DNA from the nail of a decomposed finger helped identify the victim, and the suspect was apprehended based on the clues given by her family.

In forensic investigation experts deal with distinct types of crime scenes Every crime scene is considered ubiquitous in correspondence of evidences including sexual assault murder homicide by adopting various methods i e burning drowning etc In homicidal cases where dead bodies are burnt with very frequent and specific aspiration to dismantle the evidences and concealment the identity of the deceased Insight of cases it becomes to determine the cause of death on the spot due to burning and the presence of soot In addition of it Isolation of DNA from the remnants of dead bodies or blood present on the partially burnt belongings i e clothes body tissues etc is a tedious process By this time no technical process exists that could deal with such samples that has confronted the elevated temperature during burn process In this study an attempt was done to determine the quantity and quality of DNA from body tissues and blood found on the spot with high amount of soot and effect elevated temperature due to burning and accurate DNA profiling in such cases As a resultant of this study it was observed that a part piece of clothes or the biological material can help to identify the deceased on the basis of DNA profiling from the sample which were not in the direct contact of heat elevated temperature

Teeth may provide useful forensic evidence owing to features like uniqueness, stability and comparability. Moreover, the human dentition is heterodont, i.e. all the teeth have different morphology – incisors, canines, premolars and molars. There are sometimes deviations from normal morphology, such as the presence of extra teeth, variation in their shape and size eg the presence of an extra cusp, fractured crown/root, Carabelli’s cusp, peg laterals, transpositions, fusion, etc. These differences can help forensic personnel identify bodies, especially where other methods of identification like facial features, fingerprints or DNA typing cannot yield satisfactory results as in cases of badly decomposed bodies, burnt remains, mass disasters, etc. Identification from dentition is based on the direct comparison of post-mortem dental profiles with ante-mortem dental records of the deceased. This article aims to review these developmental and morphological dental traits and their role in post-mortem identification.

Using the assessment of satisfaction of patients of labour room services, the caregiver or policymakers can identify the gaps in the implemented programmes and health policies. This study was aimed to design a valid and reliable satisfaction questionnaire that will help in identifying the aspects of gaps that need improvement.A facility and community-based observational cross-sectional study was conducted in the district of western Uttar Pradesh (India) between January 2019 and August 2020. Validation of the structured questionnaire with 34 dichotomous questions categorized under five subscales was performed by evaluating its validity and reliability. A total of 380 beneficiaries were selected from 48 government health facilities.The calculated Content validity index was calculated to be 9.5 which was adequate as per the guidelines. The reliability analysis of the questionnaire showed that the internal consistency was high with an overall Cronbach's alpha of 0.710. The variation in Cronbach's alpha on the elimination of any question from the questionnaire ranged from 0.676 to 0.767. The mean patient satisfaction score in the total surveyed population was 24.39±4.684 (total score=34) and there was a greater variation in the satisfaction score of infrastructure when compared with other subscales.The findings from this study support the reliability and validity of the patient satisfaction questionnaire as it is capable of evaluating the satisfaction in terms of delivery services provided in labour rooms as a whole.

Nanotechnology is the most important area of research in 21st century and is developing with an increasing rate because of its number of applications in almost all the sectors. Many of the methods used for preparing nanomaterials pollute the atmosphere. Nowadays green method of synthesis of nanomaterials are becoming important and gaining popularity. In this chapter green methods, particularly plant extracts and microorganisms, have been discussed for the synthesis of nanomaterials. The present chapter reviews various biogenic synthesis methods based on plant extracts, bacteria, yeast, algae, fungi, and viruses. Nanomaterials with different shapes, sizes, and bioactivity can be prepared by the variations in the bioreducing agents. There are number of parameters that affect the synthesis of nanomaterials through green rout. Various techniques have been discussed for the characterization of synthesized nanomaterials. Applications of nanomaterials in different sectors like water purification, defense, textile, medical, dental, energy, and so on have been discussed.

Application of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) for crop growth promotion and yield is an urgent need for sustainable agricultural production in view of increasing indiscriminate use of chemical fertilizers as well as plant nutrient deficiencies. Some PGPR strains have been identified and commercialized worldwide. The positive effect on crop growth and yields has been recorded. The application of PGPRs besides increasing crop growth and yield also reduces the cost of crop production and environmental risk. When PGPRs are applied in soil with different methods, they fix atmospheric nitrogen, solubilize plant nutrients, and also provide protection against soil-borne plant pathogens. Besides providing direct and indirect benefits to crop plants, the PGPRs also assist crop plants to tolerate drought and salt stress conditions. These PGPRs perform plausible mechanisms in the rhizosphere region, though abundantly documented but still remain greater scope for exploring various mechanisms. Generally, PGPRs are applied as biofertilizers and biocontrol agents, but their use as bioremediation, biodegredation, biostimulants, biopesticides, bio-osmoprotectants is very limited. Due to the nonjudicious application of chemical fertilizers, enormous opportunities are generated for the use and commercialization of PGPRs. So in this chapter, the role of PGPRs in the rhizosphere and activities performing in that zone are being described. The practical potential of PGPRs in crop production has also been discussed for commercial uses.

Illegal small-scale mining infamous in Ghana, as ‘Galamsey’, has been uncontrolled for a considerable length of time. Even though artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) offers financial advantages and business opportunities to about 4.5% of the Ghanaian people, its effect on human well-being has prompted a high frequency of health hazards, deforestation, pollution and loss of biodiversity. This study identifies the current challenges faced by the Ankobra River Basin and its environment in the Tarkwa Nsuaem Municipality and suggests measures for advanced plans for revitalization and development of the Ankobra River Basin to be improved significantly. Analysis of satellite images on land use/land cover of the same geographic territory reflects changes for the past 30-years. From 1986 to 2016, multi-temporal images of the area classified indicate that the Ankobra River Basin is largely covered by dark forests and recent decline at 2.37%. Out of the 100 distributed questionnaires to the experts and stakeholders in the field, 80 completed questionnaires were analyzed. The results show that the main indicators of 0.344 are very poor and need urgent attention to revitalize and develop the river basin. Buffer zones positioned close to the source of surface water pollution are more likely to succeed in controlling water quality. Hence, support assessments for watershed land use change, pollutant discharge, management practices on water quality, encouraging environmentally friendly mining practices with automation and harnessing green electricity from the perennial stream and biogenic forest produce to phase-out thermal power will be the criterion to develop and enhance revitalization and development of the Ankobra River Basin. Thus, Rivers Revitalization Advancement Plan has been formulated.

Materials having size between 1 and 100 nm, at least in one dimension, are known as nanomaterials. Two-dimensional (2D) materials are a special class of nanomaterials that are ultrathin, having only a single layer of atoms. Because of their large surface area, 2D layered nanomaterials exhibit special properties. The peculiar electronic properties of graphene drew a lot of attention toward the 2D structures. Other than graphene, 2D materials are hexagonal boron nitride (hBN), different transition metal chalcogenides, germanane, silicene, and phosphorene. The layered structures of 2D materials have properties to act as lubricants. These materials show a range of electronic properties and may be used in nanoelectronics, optoelectronics, catalysis, sensors, energy storage, and flexible devices in the future. In this chapter, some of the attributes, such as electronic, optoelectric, optical, electric, thermal, magnetic, and mechanical properties, have been discussed.