Eastern Part Of India Research Articles

Bioefficacy of Strobilurin Based Fungicides against Rice Sheath Blight Disease

As the usage of fungicides catapulted with the onward march of the dial hour, fungicidal resistance by the pathogens emerged as a new constraint. This amalgamated with the growing demand by the farmers for crop protection agents with low use rates, a benign environmental profile and a low toxicity to human and wild life, further gave an impetus to the search of new molecule of fungicides with novel modes of action. Sheath blight of rice caused by Rhizoctonia solani Kuhn is one of the devastating diseases in eastern part of India. Various attempts were taken to develop sheath blight resistant variety but till date no such varieties were released. Various cultural practices combined with use of fungicides are the most common option of managing the disease. Repeated use of same fungicides in the same field sometimes become less or not effective, may be due to development of resistance recombinant of R. solani. Several experiment proved strobilurin based molecules like azoxystrobin, trifloxystrobin, metominostrobin manage the disease effectively and eco-friendly way than other commercially available fungicides.

Evaluating retail store image - an empirical study in India

Retail industry in India is pivotal for its economy contributing around 20% to the country's gross domestic product. The competition is retaining and attracting new customers to the store. There are many tangible and intangible factors influencing the success of a store. Store image, which is formed by the stake holders encompassing all the components of retail mix play an important role in store success. The research is carried out in seven major cities in the eastern part of India. A structured questionnaire containing 32 items was developed based on literature review. A total of 552 usable responses were collected across different demographic profile for the study. The paper identifies eight factors influencing the store image viz. store reputation, physical characteristics, customer service, convenience, product reliability, supporting facilities, services, and pricing policy. It is found in the study, supporting facility has more influence on overall image of the store, followed by product reliability and services. It is also observed that pricing policy of the store has least impact on store image. In the emerging economic scenario Indian retailers shall be more scientific in their approach and give right importance to the parameters influencing their bottom line.

Successful treatment of arsenic-induced lung malignancy: a case report

Environmental arsenicosis is a serious public health problem in parts of Eastern India. Chronic arsenicosis is known to cause malignancy of various organs. We here report a case of simultaneous lung and skin squamous cell cancer in a 49-year-old male subject. His regular tube well drinking water was found to contain high levels of arsenic (0.125 mg/L), and his hair and nail samples also tested positive for arsenic. He was treated with chemotherapy (gemcitabine/carboplatin), followed by radiotherapy. He responded to the treatment with complete radiological remission. This case highlights a serious public health concern for arsenic affected parts of India.

Sustainability of Modern Scientific Waste Compacting Stations in the City of Kolkata

Kolkata is one of oldest and largest metropolitan city in eastern part of India with population of 4,486,679 and population density of 24252 per km2. The city of Kolkata generates almost 5500 ton of municipal solid waste (MSW) per day. The waste of the city is maintained by Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) and around 80% of this waste is collected by corporation waste management system KMC has introduced the Modern Scientific Waste Compacting Stations (MSWCS) under the Clean City initiative. The MSW thus collected were taken to the nearest compactor station which houses around two to five compactors depending upon the area, in total there are 90 compactors and 30 mobile compactors functioning till date. The number is expected to go up by the end of 2015 to 163 compactors at a cost of INR 152 crore. The previous method of dumping in open Vat was unhygienic and produced odor and vector born diseases in the vicinity and the people living near were largely affected. Though the addition of compactor has enhanced the cleanliness of the city but the sustainability of these waste compactors is a major issue and which is needed to be addressed. The disposal of the compacted waste is still being carried out in traditional landfill site and the landfill site and city distance being smaller raise a question on transportation savings which may have been incurred due to the compactor thus the payback period and long-term sustainability of the compactor is in question. The sustainability issues and challenges were identified based on a preliminary field study in 15 of the compactor station in Kolkata. The waste quantity, waste characteristics, number of trip of the compactors, labors requirements and number of other sustainability factors were evaluated. The data collected were benchmarked based on the literature, with the practices of other countries. The study reveals that there is number of issues which are lacking and needed to be implemented within the waste compactor management system to make the project sustainable in long run. The analysis revealed the need for a sanitized landfill site for methane extraction and segregation of waste before compacting for increasing the sustainability of the system. The studies finding if implemented can led to a more sustainable, economical and environmentally sound waste management system for the city of Kolkata. There are number of literature specific to waste management practices but specific study for waste compactor in a city and for Kolkata is unavailable in literature.

Algae as Bio-monitors for Damodar River Water Pollution

Damodar is an important tributary of Ganga river basin and cater the needs of industries and growing human population in the eastern part of India. Assessment of algal diversity was carried out to understand the impact of coal mining and allied industrial activities on the ecological condition of Damodar river basin. Surface water and algal samples were collected in the summer (2009) from ten sites along the Damodar River. Bio-monitoring of algal diversity showed high organic pollution load in the Damodar River. These observations were confirmed by statistical analysis. Algal community analysis and multivariate analysis showed influence of organic pollution in the river. Cluster analysis (CA) identified the similarity and dissimilarity among sampling sites and discriminate the reference site from rest of the impacted sites in the Damodar river basin.

Spider Bite, a Case from Eastern India with Review of Literature

Spider species those are important for causing health related hazards, are different from continent to continent and even from country to country. Loxosceles species and Latrodectus species bites are common in South and North America are as Latrodectus species and Latrodectus hasselti bites are common in Africa and Australia respectively. In India spider bite, though common in clinical practice, but still inadequately reported. Though a large number of spider bites seemas harmless, our experience in clinical practice differs in most of the cases. Lack of large studies and few case reports from this part of the world, results in inadequate experience in dealing symptomatic bites. Here we report a middle aged housewife from the eastern part of India who comes to us with gradually progressive local inflammation after a spider bite. Her local inflammation rapidly spread in spite of conservative managements with NSAIDS, local agents, and steroids and only responds on adding Dapsone to the regimen. We confirm the spider as a species of Tarantula of genera chilobrachys with the help of Zoology department and share our experience as a successful treatment of rare an envenomation.

Assessment of trace metal contamination level and toxicity in sediments from coastal regions of West Bengal, eastern part of India

The work investigated concentration of trace metals in surface sediments (0-10 cm; < 63 μm grain size) from 15 sampling sites of diverse environmental stresses covering Hugli River Estuary (HRE) and Sundarban Mangrove Wetland (SMW), eastern coastal part of India. The trace metal concentrations in sediments exhibited an overall decreasing trend as follows: Cr (21.2-60.9)>Cu (11.60-102.47)>Ni (19.10-52.60)>Pb (7.09-183.88)>As (4.41-11.46)>Cd (0.02-4.4)>Ag (0.02-0.87). Both the geo-accumulation index (Igeo) and contamination factor (CF) values revealed significant pollution by Ag, Cd and Pb at Nurpur of HRE. Potential Ecological Risk Index (RI) (61.21 ± 112.40) showed wide range of variations from low (19.76) to serious (463.20) ecological risk. A positive significant correlation was found between metals and organic carbon in sediments. The ecological risk associated with the trace metals in sediment was considered on the consensus based Sediment Quality Guidelines (SQGs). The work suggests that the trace metals present in sediments posed adverse effects on the sediment-dwelling organisms.

Length-weight relationship and condition factor of five sub-populations of Trichogaster lalius (Osphronemidae) of central and eastern regions of India

Length-weight relationship along with condition factor was studied in five sub-populations of Trichogaster lalius collected from five different habitats of central and eastern parts of India characterized by different environmental conditions. Results of the current length-weight relationship study show that there is significant difference from the isometric b (3.0) value in the sub-populations of Lucknow Pond, River Gomti and Kolkata Pond, whereas there is no significant difference in the Malihabad and Barabanki sub-populations. This clearly indicates the negative allometric (b < 3) growth in the specimens collected from Lucknow, River Gomti and Kolkata and these sub-populations do not follow the cube law strictly. A positive straight line correlation was found between length and weight as the values of coefficient of correlation (r) of all the subpopulations of T. lalius varied between 0.92–0.97. The values obtained from covariance analysis for the difference between slopes of regression line for the sub-populations suggested that separate equations are required for five sub-populations of T. lalius. The Fulton’s condition factor (K) was used to evaluate the condition or fatness of fish which showed that the growth in all the sub-populations of T. lalius is satisfactory.

Determination of total arsenic and speciation of As(III) and As(V) in ground water by charged particle activation analysis

The ability of charged particle activation analysis (CPAA) to determine at trace level of arsenic directly in ground water has been reported in this paper. The CPAA has been applied to determine total arsenic, As(III) and As(V) species in ground water collected from eastern part of India using ~16 MeV proton beam. The speciation of As(III) and As(V) was carried out using DOWEX 1 × 8 resin. The total arsenic concentrations were also determined by other conventional techniques for validation and values are in good agreement with that obtained by CPAA. As(III) concentration was found to be double than that of As(V) in ground water sample.

Demographic and clinicopathological profile of patients with chronic pancreatitis in a tertiary referral teaching hospital of West Bengal: Personal experience.

There is a paucity of data on the demographic and clinicopathological profiles of patients with chronic pancreatitis from the eastern part of India. This study documents the demographic and clinicopathological profiles of patients with chronic pancreatitis presenting to a general surgery unit of a tertiary referral hospital of Kolkata. The records of 145 patients presenting with chronic pancreatitis over a 5-year period were scrutinized and their demographics, clinical profile, and complications and morphological changes of the pancreas are described. Of the 145 patients, more than 50% were under the age of 30 years. Males were affected more frequently than females (M/F = 3.8:1). While idiopathic pancreatitis was the most common form of chronic pancreatitis (41.4%), alcohol was found to be the most common etiology (37.9%). Pain was the most common presenting symptom (n = 143; 98.6%). Sixty-five subjects (45%) had diabetes of which 32 subjects were insulin-dependent. On contrast-enhanced computed tomography, ductal dilatation was seen in 80 (55.17%) subjects, while ductal calculi and ductal dilatation in 54 cases (37.2%). Parenchymal calcification was seen in 45 patients of whom 40 patients (89%) were under the age of 30 years. Pseudocyst was the most common complication (n = 16) followed by biliary obstruction (n = 8) and portal hypertension (n = 4). Patients with alcoholic pancreatitis had significantly higher frequency of severe abdominal pain, diabetes, and local complications as compared to the other forms of pancreatitis in our study. Idiopathic pancreatitis was the most common form of chronic pancreatitis in this study, followed by alcoholic pancreatitis and then tropical pancreatitis.

Input–Output Energy Analysis of Rainfed Rice‐Based Cropping Systems in Eastern India

Crop and cultivar diversification in cropping systems may improve crop productivity and energy efficiency along with the sustainability of agricultural production in eastern India, but the choices may be made based on the cropping area. This study was conducted to examine the energy input–output relationship, energy requirement, and system productivity of rainfed rice (Oryza sativaL.) based cropping systems (Swarna rice–Annada rice–black gram [Vigna mungo(L.) Hepper var.mungo], Naveen rice–toria [Brassica rapaL. ssp.dichotoma(Roxb.) Hanelt]–horse gram [Macrotyloma uniflorum(Lam.) Verdc.], Swarna rice–toria–coriander [Coriandrum sativumL.], Gayatri rice–green gram [Vigna radiata(L.) R. Wilczek var.radiata], Swarna rice–green gram, and Naveen rice–black gram–horse gram) in the eastern part of India. Results of the study revealed that the Swarna rice–toria–coriander system consumed the highest total energy input (24,546 MJ ha−1), whereas the Swarna rice–green gram (15,543 MJ ha−1) system was the most energy‐efficient system. Among all the energy inputs, fertilizer consumed the highest share (45–58%), followed by land preparation (19–24%) and labor (18–23%). The Gayatri rice–green gram system produced the highest energy output (183,006 MJ ha−1), which was at a par with the energy production of the Naveen rice–toria–horse gram system (179,788 MJ ha−1). Systems such as Naveen rice–toria–horse gram, Gayatri rice–green gram, and Naveen rice–black gram–horse gram appeared to be most suitable for resource‐poor farmers for their higher energy use efficiency, energy productivity, and system productivity.

Molecular characterization of an apoptotic strain of Newcastle disease virus isolated from an outbreak in India.

Newcastle disease (ND) is a highly contagious disease of poultry. The ND virus (NDV) encodes an error-prone RNA-dependent RNA polymerase which can cause high mutation rate leading to the emergence of its new antigenic variants. Antigenic difference of NDV strains may result in massive outbreak in vaccinated and unvaccinated poultry flocks around the globe. Apart from its pathogenic potential NDV has been explored as an oncolytic agent for a broad range of human cancers. In the present study, we isolated a novel NDV strain from an outbreak in chicken flock from the eastern part of India. Molecular characterization showed the NDV strain to be virulent in nature. The complete genome sequence analysis of the newly isolated strains belongs to genotype XIII. Moreover, the newly isolated strain of NDV showed positive results in various apoptotic assays in human breast cancer cells, MCF-7. The study will be useful to explore the possibility of using a newly isolated strain of NDV for virotherapy.

ENERGY AND EXERGY ANALYSIS OF A 250MW COAL FIRED THERMAL POWER PLANT AT DIFFERENT LOADS

In this present investigation exergy and energy efficiencies of a coal fired 250 MW thermal power plant operating in eastern part of India are determined both for 100% and 90% load based on actual operating data. The efficiencies are evaluated for the overall plant as well as for different equipments like boiler, turbine, all feed water heaters and condenser. Similarly effectiveness of the feed water heaters is evaluated for both the loads. Exergy destruction % for each of the equipment are also given for clear understandingof the loss of available energy due to irreversibilities involved in the processes for each equipment and the whole plant. It is observed that a major irreversibility or, exergy destruction takes place at boiler though 1st law energy efficiency is quite high. This signifies that there might have further scope of improvement in this equipment. Similar analyses are carried out for other equipments. The results obtained in present analysis are compared with those of other investigators.

Spectrum and frequency of GJB2, GJB6 and SLC26A4 gene mutations among nonsyndromic hearing loss patients in eastern part of India

Genetically caused nonsyndromic hearing loss is highly heterogeneous. Inspite of this large heterogeneity, mutations in the genes GJB2, GJB6 and SLC26A4 are major contributors. The mutation spectrum of these genes varies among different ethnic groups. Only a handful of studies focused on the altered genetic signature of these genes in different demographic regions of India but never focused on the eastern part of the country. Our study for the first time aimed to characterize the mutation profile of these genes in hearing loss patients of West Bengal state, India. Mutations in GJB2, GJB6 and SLC26A4 genes were screened by bidirectional sequencing from 215 congenital nonsyndromic hearing loss patients. Radiological diagnosis was performed in patients with SLC26A4 mutations by temporal bone CT scan. The study revealed that 4.65% and 6.97% patients had monoallelic and biallelic GJB2 mutations respectively. Six mutations were identified, p.W24X being the most frequent one accounting for 71.05% of the mutated alleles. Mutations in GJB6 including the previously identified deletion mutation (GJB6-D13S1830) were not identified in our study. Further, no patients harbored biallelic mutations in the SLC26A4 gene or the common inner ear malformation Enlarged Vestibular Aqueduct (EVA). The mutation profile of GJB2 in our study is distinct from other parts of India, suggesting that the mutation spectrum of this gene varies with ethnicity and geographical origin. The absence of GJB6 mutations and low frequency of SLC26A4 mutations suggest that additional genetic factors may also contribute to this disease.

A nested framework for transparency in Public Private Partnerships: Case studies in highway development projects in India

Public Private Partnership (PPP) offers an innovative framework of accountability in comparison to traditional public sector procurement model. Transparency is one of the four components of the framework. Whereas theoretically PPP calls for restricted transparency, policy makers have recently raised their voices for improved transparency of public infrastructure delivery process throughout the project cycle. But the question arises what transparency is and what does it do? This research offers a framework of transparency to understand the wider concept both in depth and breadth, drawing on the literature of decision-making in mega projects, PPP and understanding of transparency under various theoretical paradigms. Three highway projects from the eastern part of India are examined and conclusions are also based on case study findings, considering the extent they can be framed under various theoretical paradigms under review. Hood and Heald's (2006) framework on categories of transparency based on time and direction of disclosure of information is also used to suggest how altering time and direction of disclosure would have better served the purposes of transparency.

Polymorphisms in CaSR and CLDN14 Genes Associated with Increased Risk of Kidney Stone Disease in Patients from the Eastern Part of India.

Kidney stone disease (KSD) is a major clinical problem imposing a large burden for both healthcare and economy globally. In India, the prevalence of kidney stone disease is rapidly increasing. This study aimed to evaluate the association between genetic defects in vitamin D receptor (VDR), calcium sensing receptor (CaSR) and claudin 14 (CLDN14) genes and kidney stone disease in patients from eastern India. We enrolled 200 consecutive kidney stone patients (age 18–60 years) (cases) and their corresponding sex and age matched 200 normal individuals (controls). To identify genetic variants responsible for KSD, we performed sequence analysis of VDR, CaSR and CLDN14 genes. Four non-synonymous (rs1801725, rs1042636, rs1801726 and rs2228570), one synonymous (rs219780) and three intronic single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (rs731236, rs219777 and rs219778) were identified. Genotype and allele frequency analysis of these SNPs revealed that, rs1801725 (Ala986Ser), rs1042636 (Arg990Gly) of CaSR gene and rs219778, rs219780 (Thr229Thr) of CLDN14 gene were significantly associated with KSD. Serum calcium levels were significantly higher in subjects carrying 986Ser allele and calcium excretion was higher in subjects bearing 990Gly allele. In conclusion, rs1801725, rs1042636, rs219778 and rs219780 SNPs were associated with kidney stone risk in patients from the eastern part of India.

Incorporating GeoGebra into Geometry Learning-A lesson from India

Students often find geometrical concepts abstract and difficult to understand. This results in poor performance, which contributes in the declining interest in geometry. The aim of this study was to examine the impact of using the free educational software program, ‗GeoGebra‘ on 9th grade student‘s mathematics achievement in learning geometry. A total of 50 students were selected from a government school located in the eastern part of India. The experimental group (25) was taught theorem on circles using GeoGebra while the control group (25) was taught utilizing traditional teaching methods. At the end of the treatment, students‘ mathematics achievements were measured using a post - test. The result indicated that GeoGebra is an effective tool for teaching and learning geometry in middle school

Choreotrich ciliate tintinnid (Protozoa: Ciliophora) in a tropical meso–macrotidal estuary, eastern part of India

An annual community structure of the loricate ciliate tintinnids, the ubiquitous planktonic protist, was analysed from nine sampling sites (n=108) of diverse environmental stresses along the Hooghly (Ganges) River Estuary, eastern coastal part of India. The agglomerated genus Tintinnopsis sp., was dominated among the 32 identified tintinnid species (3 core, 12 seasonal and 17 occasional species) contributing ∼62% of total tintinnid population. The size-class distribution of lorica oral diameter ranges between 9 and 22 μm for majority of the tintinnids (∼71%) which provides relevant information on the ecological characteristics for the species assemblages. The maximum species diversity for tintinnid (H′=1.71) during postmonsoon (February, 2014) has been attributed by high numerical density of phytoplankton dominated by diatoms (4400 cells l−1,H′=3.41) at the site Gangasagar, mouth of the estuary. The large-sized tintinnids Tintinnopsis cylindrica (lorica length = 262.8 μm; lorica oral diameter = 65 μm) and T. radix (lorica length = 278.6 μm; lorica oral diameter = 62 μm) belonging to family Codonellidae, formed successful dominant group (>50% of the total) in this estuarine ecosystem. The core species abundance (Tintinnopsis beroidea, Tintinnidium primitivum and Leprotintinnus simplex) shares ∼57% of total tintinnid population followed by seasonal (35%) and occasional species (8%), characterized by their eurythermal and euryhaline nature. As revealed from the results of cluster analyses, majority of the tintinnids formed an individual functional group, exhibiting similar assemblages in species distribution. The Canonical Correspondence Analysis map (CCA) revealed a clustering of core species with the phytopigment (Chlorophyll a) and dissolved oxygen which were found to be the most important causative factors controlling the distribution and seasonal patterns of tintinnids. Well-defined tintinnid assemblages are evident representing the fingerprint of the specific ecological zone of Hooghly estuary, characterized by a set of environmental variables.

Decentralised governance and planning in India: case study of a tribal district

This paper examines the process of the formulation of decentralised planning in the Tribal regions of Odisha, a state located in eastern part of India, while examining the powers devolved to the local governments in such regions in the state to formulate plan, and the ground reality of the preparation of such plans in the context of the implementation of the Provisions of Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act (PESA Act). Formulation of decentralised planning in Odisha was taken up in the year 2008. However, based on the secondary data and interacting with the various people in field, the paper has revealed that “structural impediments” and “functional incapacity” of the local governments in the Scheduled Areas have hampered the spirit of such institutions with regard to the planning and implementation of the development programs. The paper argues that decentralised plans should be realistic, based on the effective utilisation of local resources, and the local development issues should be prioritised and implemented accordingly. The paper suggests policy measures such as effective participation, prioritisation of development needs, and rationalisation of the required and available funds, considering the significance of the PESA Act. While doing so, the issues of the tribals should receive priority.

Association of Socio-Economic Factors with the Nutritional Status of the Children Aged 2-8 Years from Slums of Kolkata, West Bengal, India

Background: Undernutrition appears to be a plaguing factor for physical and cognitive development of a large proportion of Indian children living in impoverished conditions. The city of Kolkata, located in the eastern part of India has demonstrated a conspicuous rise in its slum growth profile in the past few decades. Hitherto, studies on physical growth and nutritional status of slum children are lacking. Objectives: To Investigate the nutritional status (stunting, wasting, and underweight) among 2- 8 year old children and to observe the association of socio-economic factors with undernutrition of the studied children. Materials and Methods: This cross sectional study was conducted on 185 children aged 2 to 8 years residing at slums of Tangra, Behala, and Dum Dum regions of Kolkata. Anthropometric measurements (height and weight) were take following standard protocol (Lohman et al., 1988), Socio-economic information were collected using a semi-structured questionnaire. Stunting, Underweight and Wasting were derived to evaluate the nutritional status of the studied population. Pearson correlation (r) coefficient test was undertaken to measure the association of some socio-economic variables on undernutrition. Results: The prevalence of stunting, underweight, and wasting were 38.91% (boys 32.14% and girls 45.45%), 50.27% (boys 51.16%, girls 49.49%), 31.35% (boys 30.23%, girls 32.32%) respectively. The present study showed the positive correlation (r) between educational levels of the parents and stunting, underweight and wasting independently. But household size has a negative correlation with all the three measures of nutritional status. Conclusion: We conclude that the slum children were facing a nutritional health risk and parental education and household size appeared to be the primary reasons.