Western Part Of Rajasthan Research Articles

Short-Term Outcomes of Patients With Hyponatremia Presenting to the Emergency Department: An Observational Study.

Hyponatremia is the predominant electrolyte imbalance disorder in the emergency department. It can manifest with a diverse array of symptoms, ranging from non-specific and moderate to severe and even life-threatening. There is a scarcity of literature addressing the clinical characteristics and prognosis of patients with hyponatremia presenting to the emergency department in the western part of Rajasthan. The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of hyponatremia on the outcomes of patients presenting to the emergency department. In this prospective, cross-sectional, observational study, 200 patients aged more than 18 years who presented to the emergency department with serum sodium < 135 mEq/l were included. The triage of patientswas determined by their primary complaints. The primary outcome was to study the clinical profile of patients with hyponatremia presenting to the emergency department. The secondary outcomes were to examine the etiology, i.e., hypovolemic, euvolemic, or hypervolemic, and the outcome of patients on the 7th day (patient admitted to the ward or intensive care unit) and the 28th day (discharged or death) with hyponatremia presenting to the emergency department. The clinical status of the patients was noted by telephonic follow-up in case they were not admitted for this period. Out of 200 patients, 66 (33%) had hypovolemic, 96 (48%) had euvolemic, and 38 (19%) had hypervolemic hyponatremia. We observed that seizures (84.2%), confusion (56%), and coma (77.7%) were the most common clinical features of patients with severe hyponatremia in the emergency, which was statistically significant than mild and moderate hyponatremia (p = 0.03, 0.023, and 0.029, respectively). On the 7th day of hospitalization, out of 181 (90.5%) admissions in the ward, 116 (64.08%) had severe hyponatremia, and out of 19 (9.5%) ICU admissions, 13 (68.4%) had severe hyponatremia. Death was seen in five (2.5%) patients, one (20%) in moderateand four (80%) in severe hyponatremia cases. Most cases of hyponatremia in this study were euvolemic. Most patientsexperienced severe hyponatremia, and seizures, confusion, and coma were the most prevalent symptoms. These disorders must be recognized early to properly diagnose and treat hyponatremia and prevent its morbidity and death.

Effect of Different Pretreatments and Air Temperatures on Drying Characteristics of Kachri (Cucumis callosus) Dried in Heat Pump Dryer

Kachri (Cucumis callosus) is an underutilized fruit of India widely found in the western part of Rajasthan during the rainy season. In this study kachri fruit slices were pretreated with different pretreatments such as hot water blanching, 0.1% w/v potassium metabisulfite (KMS) and 0.1% w/v magnesium oxide (MgO) at 800C for 3 min. Pretreated samples were dried in a heat pump dryer at 40, 50 and 600C and their drying characteristics such as moisture content, drying rate, moisture diffusivity and rehydration ratio were studied. The initial moisture content of control kachri was 893.04% (db) and for the pretreated sample, it was 906.75% (db) and the final moisture content was found 4 to 6% (db) for all the treatments. The KMS treated sample took less drying time and a higher drying rate followed by MgO, hot water blanching and control. Moisture diffusivity ranged from 1.90 × 10-07 to 8.28 × 10-07 m2/s as the temperature increased from 40 to 600C. The value of the rehydration ratio ranged from 2.1 to 5.03. It was found that both rehydration ratio and moisture diffusivity values increased with an increase in drying air temperature.

Species composition and habitat characterization of mosquito fauna in Kota and Barmer region of Rajasthan

The present investigation conducted to determine the diversity of mosquito fauna in two ecologically different regions of Rajasthan i.e., Kota and Barmer. Kota is in the south-eastern region of Rajasthan while Barmer is situated in the western part of Rajasthan. The study was carried out over a period of one year. The adult mosquito was collected by using aspirator, BG -Sentinal trap and the larval stages were collected using ladle and dipping method. Total 1258 species were reported in the Barmer region while 1450 species were reported from the Kota region. The most prevalent species in the Kota and Barmer regions was Culex quinquefasciatus.

Diatom Records from Diatom Mat Deposits in the Western Pacific

The diatoms are major part of freshwater algae and major contributors of oxygen evolving organisms. Therefore, enlisting of diatoms not only contributed as data but also future hope for scientific community for further research. The research is carried out in Sawai madhopur of Rajasthan and found great diversity of this small group. The great diversity of diatoms is found in all aquatic habitats (stagnant as well as running).This is first attempt for enlisting diatoms from western part of Rajasthan. Eighteen diatoms species of two genus Fragillaria and Synendra have been described in present paper.

Can Addition of Organic Manures Mediated Sodicity Toxicity in Mustard Cultivation ?

ABSTRACT In India’s arid and semiarid regions, soil sodicity is a restraining factor for crop productivity. There is less rainfall in these areas, and the groundwater has a high sodium adsorption ratio (SAR) and pH. However, by moderating soil fertility characteristics, these sites have a lot of potential for increasing the mustard yield. For this, a field experiment was conducted with four levels of sodicity water irrigation (6, 10, 20, and 30 SAR) and six levels of nitrogen (composed of different combinations with urea, farm yard manure-FYM, and vermicompost-VC). After harvesting of the crop, soil and plant samples were analyzed for physicochemical properties. Experimental results showed an increasing level of SAR mediating the soil parameters like soil organic carbon, available water content, and also mustard crop yield. Although replacement of N application doses with FYM and VC showed improvement in SOC and available water, it reduced soil pH, EC, SAR, and bulk density. Increasing sodicity levels from 6 to 20 SAR reduced the mustard seed yield by 16.05 q ha−1 to 9.76 q ha−1, whereas 50% RDN through urea and 75% RDN through VC increased the seed yield by 8.28 to 16.27 q ha−1. Such studies have opened the door for sustainable mustard production in high sodicity areas, i.e. western part of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Haryana, and Punjab states by application of nitrogen through organics. It will improve the mustard growers’ economic situation and contribute greatly to the country’s economic growth in sodic soil areas.

Analyzing the extent of drought in the Rajasthan state of India using vegetation condition index and standardized precipitation index

Drought is the most complex but least understood of all natural hazards that impacts around 55 million people globally every year. A hydrological drought (drought here after) is when the lack of rainfall goes on long enough to empty rivers and lower water tables and causes severe water shortage. In recent years, Geographic Information System (GIS) and remote sensing (RS) have played a crucial role in studying different hazards either natural or man-made. This study stresses upon the use of RS technique for drought risk assessment in Rajasthan state of India for the year 2002 and 2019. In this study, an effort has been made to analyze the extent of drought using two drought indices, namely vegetation-based vegetation condition index (VCI) and meteorology-based standardized precipitation index (SPI). For VCI calculation, which indicates impact of soil moisture on vegetation, we used moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS), Normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) data from year 2000 to 2019. Monthly SPI was calculated using rainfall data obtained from the Rajasthan water resource department. SPI values were interpolated to get the spatial pattern of meteorological drought. Whole area categorised into five drought classes including extreme drought, severe drought, moderate drought, mild drought and no drought, following the recommended value breaks. The results revealed that about 83.87% area was under drought in the year 2002 thus considered as drought year. It has also been calculated that only 15.62% area was showing drought condition in year 2019 especially in the western part of Rajasthan. Correlation analysis performed between VCI and SPI resulted in a coefficient of correlation of 0.92 and 0.79 in year 2002 and 2019, respectively. The high correlation endorses the reliability of RS data for drought-related analysis.

Agricultural variation in cropping and irrigation intensity in western part of Rajasthan

Climate change adversely affects human health due to fluctuations in temperature, rainfall pattern and natural hazards etc. The impact of climate change is also on agriculture where food security is greatly affected by climate change. The present paper deals with change in cropping and irrigation intensity in western part of Rajasthan due to climate change. The study includes comparison of cropping intensity and irrigation intensity of 12 districts of Rajasthan and found that Jhunjhunu have the highest cropping intensity from 2006 to 2016 which means a higher portion of the net area is being cropped more than once during one agricultural year. While, Barmer recorded the lowest cropping intensity for both years 2006 and 2016. Sikar did not show change in cropping intensity in this duration while churu had a decline in cropping intensity from 2006 to 2016. Further, Sri Ganganagar district have an increase in cropping intensity in 2015-2016 as compared to 2006-2007. Jaisalmer and Hanumangarh recorded the highest irrigation intensity which increased from 2006 to 2016 and the lowest irrigation intensity was recorded in Pali and Jhunjhunu. Pali and Jalore district had not shown change in irrigation intensity form 2006 to 2016. While Barmer, Jhunjhunu and Sikar districts showed a decrease in irrigation intensity from 2006 to 2016. Henceforth, the study shows the scenario of cropping and irrigation intensity as well as variation due to climate change in western part of Rajasthan.

A 5-year study of dengue seropositivity among suspected cases attending a teaching hospital of North-Western region of India.

Dengue virus infection isestimated to cause infection in approximately 390 million people globally each year, of which 96 million develop clinical disease. Dengue serotype 2 (DEN-2) is the most prevalent serotype over the past 50 years in India, but serotypes 3 and 4 have appeared in some epidemics as well. A retrospective study was conducted in a teaching hospital, western India, between January 2014 and December 2018. The records of dengue serological test were analyzed. In total, 40 randomly selected nonstructural protein 1 (NS1) antigen-positive samples were analyzed by a reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. The demographic data, that is, age and sex, along with geographic location and platelet count level, were recorded from the Serology laboratory register and Hospital Information System. In total, 14.85% (735/4948) samples tested positive for dengue serology. Most of the laboratory-confirmed dengue cases, 34.97% (257/735), were observed in the 21-30 years of age group. The most common serotype detected in the tested samples was DEN-3 in 55% cases (22/40, 13 monoinfection and 9 coinfection with DEN-1 and DEN-2). The present study gives an insight into the trend of dengue seropositivity among suspected cases in the western part of Rajasthan, India. This study showed a higher seroprevalence of dengue infection as well as a gradual increase in the seroprevalence in this part of India.

Clinico-epidemiological and pathological profile of lung cancer: a hospital based observational study in Western part of Rajasthan, India

Background: Lung cancer is the most common cancer causing deaths in men and women world-wide, responsible for over 1 million deaths annually. Although, advances in surgical techniques and combined therapies lung cancer remains a disease with a poor prognosis. Aim of the study was to evaluate the clinico-epidemiological and pathological profile in diagnosed case of lung cancer patients, presenting in the K N Chest hospital.Methods: Initial evaluation after obtaining informed consent, demography, history, clinicoradiological findings of patients and relevant investigations was recorded. Histopathological reports reviewed.Results: Our study included 108 patients with confirmed cases of lung cancer.The mean age of the patients was 57.50 years. The male: female ratio was 5.8:1. Cough was the most common presenting symptom (77.78%) followed by chest pain (62.33%). Clubbing was most commonly associated with squamous cell carcinoma. Most common radiological presentation was consolidation (42.59%) followed by mass lesion (30.55%). Most common histopathological type of lung cancer found in this study was squamous cell carcinoma 47(43.52%) followed by adenocarcinoma 42 (38.89%). Small cell carcinoma was present in 15 (13.89%) and large cell carcinoma was present in 4 (3.70%) study group. The most common pathological cell type in silica dust exposed patient in this study was squamous cell carcinoma followed by adenocarcinoma with occupational history of &gt; 10 years of silica dust exposure in stone mines.Conclusions: Squamous cell carcinoma still remains the commonest histological subtype followed by adenocarcinoma.

Relationship between “general obesity index - body mass index” and “resting heart rate” in school-going male adolescent subjects: A cross-sectional study

Background: The previous studies on effect on “Resting Heart Rate (RHR)” with physiological variables in school-going children are deficient in western part of Rajasthan. Aim and Objective: The objective of this cross-sectional study was to determine the association between general obesity index (body mass index [BMI]) with RHR in obese and non-obese school-going male adolescents of the Jodhpur city (Rajasthan). Materials and Methods: After obtaining approval from the Institutional Ethics Committee, 50 male subjects aged between 14 and 17 years were enrolled for the study. All the subjects were divided into two groups according to BMI with written informed consent. The anthropometric data, i.e. height (HT) and weight (WT) were taken to calculate BMI followed by measurements of RHR. These values were analyzed by Student’s t-test and on the basis of BMI, RHR data were compared by Pearson’s coefficient correlation. Results: In our study, higher BMI (BMI ≥25 kg/m2) was found in 22% of subjects (mean + standard deviation =27.04 ± 1.8). The obese group was associated with continuous faster RHR in standing (RHRst. =82.27 ± 2.45 bpm) and supine condition (RHRsup =75.72 ± 2.27 bpm). We found that RHR had significantly positive correlated with BMI (RHRst. r = 0.55 and RHRsup. r = 0.44, respectively). Conclusion: RHRst. position had higher values and significantly positive correlation with obesity index (BMI) among obese group compared to non-obese group (P < 0.05).

Halophytes of Thar Desert: Potential source of nutrition and feedstuff

Salinity associated with drought is severe ecological threat in the Western part of Rajasthan which is recognized as “Thar Desert’’. The increased population and the deterioration of the arable lands make it inevitable to exploit marginal and long-neglected natural resources and re-assess them in the provision for utilization. Halophyte plants are widely distributed throughout several regions of the Western part due to the presence of saline extents such as Pachpadra, Lunkarsar, Khajuwala, Lanela as well as Thob. The growth of salt-tolerant fodder species for animals and other livestock offers a major opportunity to use land and water resources that are too saline for conventional crops and forages. To illustrate this point, we conducted literature searches regarding growth, biomass production and nutritive value of halophyte plants under saline irrigations practice throughout the world. This review summarized the valuable information regarding the perspective of wild halophytes as promising foodstuff alternative for animal raised in saline lands and or in arid and semi-arid regions. To sum up, it seems that a wide range of halophytes (Haloxylon spp., Suaeda spp., Trianthema spp., Zygophyllum spp.) and salt-tolerant grasses (Juncus spp., Sporobolus spp) could be considered as promising feed resources for cattle and other livestock raised in the Thar Desert. However, further research is needed regarding the chemical characterizations of these plants under commercial cultivation practices and their long-term bioactivity with safe consumption.

Nursing students: A vulnerable health-care worker for needlesticks injuries in teaching hospitals.

Background:Occupational exposure to bloodborne pathogen is a significant risk to health-care workers. In any teaching hospital apart from regular health-care workers and employees, there are significant population of students and trainee. It is important to assess the health-care worker in hospital which has maximum chances of exposure to these pathogens. The aim of this study is to determine the most susceptible job group for needlestick injury (NSI) reported in a newly established teaching medical institute in the Western part of Rajasthan, India.Methods:This is a retrospective analysis of data of NSI occurred during September 2014 to January 2017.Results:Sixty three NSIs were reported during the study. Nursing students were the most vulnerable group who reported maximum number of NSI. Among the nursing students, 72% were completely vaccinated against hepatitis B virus.Conclusions:Nursing students are at utmost risk for NSIs, the prevention of which requires regular training and education.

Utilizing Geo-information Tools for Mapping Spatio-temporal Changes in Population of Prosopis cineraria (khejri) in Agroforestry System of Arid Western Rajasthan

The present study is an attempt to assess the spatial variability and the changes in the population of Prosopis cineraia (khejri) trees in the agroforestry systems of arid part of western Rajasthan. This tree is regarded as an important natural resource for the rural livelihood of desert dwellers because of its multifarious uses. The tree populations were mapped in a geographical information system using available information from aerial photographs, google earth images and IRS-LISS-III satellite images to compare their populations between the past and the very recent period. Mapping carried out in a part of Nagaur district in western part of Rajasthan, indicated increase in khejri trees in the region in 2013–2014 compared to 1960s. The number and tree density were higher under irrigated croplands than under rainfed. Increase in rainfall, multiple uses of the tree, societal and scientific support are the key reasons for the observed changes in their population.

Prevalence and pattern of anemia among persons reported for blood donation at a tertiary care center in western part of Rajasthan

Background: In current medical and surgical practice, blood transfusion can be a vital, life-saving remedy. But it requires an adequate supply of safe blood from a healthy donor. For this, proper healthy and safe donor selection is necessary. Most common cause of deferral in blood donation is anemia. Objective: To assess the prevalence and pattern of anemia in blood donors. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted during the period from February 2015 to June 2015 in Sardar Patel Medical College, Department of Transfusion Medicine. The study included 11,635 volunteers who reported to donate blood. Hemoglobin estimation was done by using HemoCue 301. Morphology of anemia was estimated by peripheral blood film examination and complete blood count. Serum ferritin was estimated by electrochemiluminescence. All the data were tabulated and statistically analyzed by using SPSS software. Result: Overall incidence of deferral was 7.5%. The prevalence of anemia among donors was 1.7%. The prevalence of anemia among female donors was higher than male donors (26.4% vs. 1.1%). Mild anemia (67%) was the most common type of anemia. Most common morphological type of anemia was microcytic hypochromic anemia (57%). Iron deficient anemia (62.5%) was the most common cause of anemia. Conclusion: Female donors particularly of the reproductive age group were more commonly affected than male donors. The data of our study showed that there was a need to understand the problem and to educate the regular donors regarding iron deficiency and iron supplementation.

Watershed Delineation in Flat Terrain of Thar Desert Region in North West India – A Semi Automated Approach Using DEM

Thar desert spreads in western part of Rajasthan, northern part of Gujarat, and some parts of Punjab and Haryana. The terrain is dominated by slightly sloping plains, broken by some dunes and low barren hills. The area is characterized by low average annual rainfall which is erratic in distribution and intensity. Drought will remain a major hindrance for agricultural production in Thar desert. Due to water stress condition, many watershed based development activities has been adopted by government and non-government organizations for the growth and sustainable development of this region. The need of this hour is preparation of a national level watershed atlas of 1:50,000 scale because majority of thematic maps are being produced presently on same or 1:10,000 scale. The manual delineation of watershed boundary in flat terrain based on topographic map will be time consuming and less accurate in the absence of prominent contour lines. Automated approach for watershed delineation using Digital Elevation Model (DEM) along a suitable algorithm has the advantage because the output is not only less time consuming but also independent from human decisions. Hence, a case study has been carried out in Churu sub-basin part of Indus basin which is located in Thar desert region. Depression less DEM with different spatial resolutions was used as input in hydrology tool of ArcGIS spatial analyst function for characterization of watersheds. The Churu sub-basin has been divided into various numbers of watersheds with an average size of 600 km2. These watershed boundaries have been validated with respect to high resolution satellite imageries (IRS P6 LISS IV), Survey of India toposheets, ancillary data and limited field checks.

THERMO GRAVIMETRIC AND DIFFERENTIAL THERMAL ANALYSIS OF CLAY OF WESTERN RAJASTHAN (INDIA)

The paper presents the study of thermo gravimetric and differential thermal analysis of blended clay. Western part of Rajasthan (India) is rich resource of Ball clays and it is mainly used by porcelain, sanitary ware, and tile industry. The quality and grade of clay available in the region vary from one deposit to other. To upgrade the fired colour and strength properties, different variety of clays may be blended together. The paper compares the results of thermal analysis one of blended clay B2 with reference clay of Ukraine which is imported by industries owners. The result revealed that the blended clay is having mineral kaolinite while the Ukrainian clay is Halloysite.

THE TRANSIENT PLANE SOURCE TECHNIQUE TO MEASURE THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY OF CLAYS OF BIKANER REGION

Thermal conductivity and thermal diffusivity of blended clays have been studied with special reference to Ukrainian clay. The blends were made of three different clays available locally in western part of Rajasthan. Thermal conductivity and thermal diffusivity were determined using the transient plane source (TPS) technique at room temperature and normal pressure. It was found that thermal conductivity and thermal diffusivity of the blends reported maximum at temperature 1200° C and near in the values of Ukrainian clay. The thermal conductivity of blend B2 reported maximum value (1.29 W/m-k) in the present study.

Geochemical Modeling of High Fluoride Concentration in Groundwater of Pokhran Area of Rajasthan, India

The groundwater is the only major source of drinking water in western part of Rajasthan, India. The study was carried out to locate and decipher hydrogeochemical reactions responsible for elevated concentration of fluoride. The concentration of fluoride ranged from 0.6 to 4.74ppm in groundwater of study area. Since the area is a desertic terrain and no industries are present thus possibility of anthropogenic input of fluoride is all most negligible thus the enrichment of fluoride in groundwater is only possible due to rock-water interaction. The highly alkaline conditions indicated fluorite dissolution as major process responsible for high concentration of fluoride in Pokhran.

Energy use pattern in production agriculture of a typical village in arid zone India: part II

The Indian hot arid zone, occupying an area of 31.71 Mha, spreads over Western Rajasthan, North Gujrat, South West Haryana and Punjab, some parts of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka State, but the major part of it (61.8%) lies in the western part of Rajasthan, covering 12 districts commonly known as “Thar Desert” and characterized by harsh climatic conditions with active dunal activities. To add to the misery, there is continuous occurrence of severe drought in the region since the last 2–3 years (1997–98 and 1999–2000). Data on the energy input for cultivating different selective crops for 1999–2000 (drought year) were collected, analysed and presented for the village “Siwas” district, Pali (Zone-IV, rainfall >400 mm/yr). Owing to the drought, farmers of the village have grown kharif crops (being rainfed) by providing life saving irrigation. The maximum energy is required for raising the cotton crop, followed by wheat, mustard, maize and cluster bean. There is more non-renewable form of energy input (73.2%) than renewable form (26.8%) in all the crops. Further, more non-renewable energy is required for cultivating rabi crops compared to kharif. Among the kharif crops, the energy ratio varied from 3.4 to 7.0, suggesting that cotton, having an energy ratio 7.0, is most profitable compared to other crops. However, among the rabi crops, mustard is found most profitable. The crop yield can be correlated with energy input in the form of a second degree polynomial. During a drought period, by providing life saving irrigation, the yields of kharif crops were in agreement with the average yield obtained during a normal rainfall year.